How do I update this Neural Net to use image pixel data - c++

Question

I'm learning Neural Networks from this bytefish machine learning guide and code. I understand it well but I would like to update the code at the previous link to use image pixel data instead of random values as the input data. In this section of the aforementioned code:
cv::randu(trainingData,0,1);
cv::randu(testData,0,1);
the training and test matrices are filled with random data. Then label data is added to the classes matrices here:
cv::Mat trainingClasses = labelData(trainingData, eq);
cv::Mat testClasses = labelData(testData, eq);
using this function:
// label data with equation
cv::Mat labelData(cv::Mat points, int equation) {
cv::Mat labels(points.rows, 1, CV_32FC1);
for(int i = 0; i < points.rows; i++) {
float x = points.at<float>(i,0);
float y = points.at<float>(i,1);
labels.at<float>(i, 0) = f(x, y, equation);
// the f() function used above
//is only a case statement with 5
//switches in it eg on of the switches is:
//case 0:
//return y > sin(x*10) ? -1 : 1;
//break;
}
return labels;
}
Then points are plotted in a window here:
plot_binary(trainingData, trainingClasses, "Training Data");
plot_binary(testData, testClasses, "Test Data");
with this function:
;; Plot Data and Class function
void plot_binary(cv::Mat& data, cv::Mat& classes, string name) {
cv::Mat plot(size, size, CV_8UC3);
plot.setTo(cv::Scalar(255.0,255.0,255.0));
for(int i = 0; i < data.rows; i++) {
float x = data.at<float>(i,0) * size;
float y = data.at<float>(i,1) * size;
if(classes.at<float>(i, 0) > 0) {
cv::circle(plot, Point(x,y), 2, CV_RGB(255,0,0),1);
} else {
cv::circle(plot, Point(x,y), 2, CV_RGB(0,255,0),1);
}
}
imshow(name, plot);
}
The plotted points, as I understand it, represent the input data multiplied by the equations in the f() function and is used by the predict functions to predict which point to plot in the mlp, knn, svm etc. functions. How do I update what is going on here to do something with Image pixel data. Any advice to get me farther would be appreciated.

Answer 1

"How do I update what is going on here to do something with Image pixel data" is a broad and generic question. May I ask in exchange: what do you want to do with "Image pixel data"?
Do you want an answer to: what can be done with "Image pixel data" on machine learning algorithms like ANN, SVM etc. ?
The answer is a loooong list of things encompassing thousands of research papers and hundreds of PhD theses. Some examples include: supervised and/or un-supervised classification of images into labels/tags/categories based on features like image content, objects in image, patterns in image etc. The possibilities are endless. You may perhaps want to take a look at this: http://stuff.mit.edu/afs/athena/course/urop/profit/PDFS/EdwardTolson.pdf
Now, coming back to you original objective: "I would like to update the code at the previous link to use image pixel data instead of random values as the input data"...
The implementation technique would depend largely on what you want to do. I can cite one/two easy techniques for extracting feature vectors from image, which can be fed into any machine learning algorithm of your choice...
Example 1:
You may start with using pixel intensity data as a feature vector. Here's how you may go ahead with it:
Load image using
Mat image = imread(argv[1], CV_LOAD_IMAGE_GRAYSCALE);
Resize image into a smaller area using resize. You may want to begin with small image sizes, like 8x8 or 10x10 pixels.
Loop through the image matrix, somewhat like this:
for(int row = 0; row < img.rows; ++row)
{
uchar* p = img.ptr(row);
for(int col = 0; col < img.cols; ++col)
{
*p++ //points to each pixel value in turn assuming a CV_8UC1 greyscale image
}
}
A collection of all the pixel values will give you a feature vector for that image.
Now suppose you have two classes of image. For each set of feature vector you generate, you'll have to prepare (for supervised classification) a corresponding label Mat (somewhat like the example you've mentioned). It needs to contain the class label (say, 0 and 1) for all the feature vectors present in your feature Mat.
Now feed the feature vectors and label Mat to your machine learning code and see what happens.
However, the ability of image classification based on image pixel data alone is quite limited. There are thousands of techniques for extracting image features, most of which are dependent on the application area.
Example 2:
I'll finish off with one more example for extracting feature vectors, which, in some cases, will prove to be more effective than simple image pixel values.
You may use the Histogram of Oriented Gradients descriptor for slightly better results, use this:
cv::HOGDescriptor hog;
vector<float> descriptors;
hog.compute(mat, descriptors);
The vector descriptors is your feature vector.
HOGDescriptors, when used with SVM, provides a decent classification mechanism.
You can put the pixel data of an image into a Mat called trainingData using something similar to this:
cv::Mat labelData(cv::Mat points, int equation)
{
cv::Mat labels(points.rows, 1, CV_32FC1);
for(int i = 0; i < points.rows; i++)
{
float x = points.at<float>(i,0);
float y = points.at<float>(i,1);
labels.at<float>(i, 0) = f(x, y, equation);
}
return labels;
}
Now, instead of labelData, we're going to return a Mat of pixel data. One obvious way is to use the image itself as a feature vector. However, some machine learning algorithms in openCV, including ANN, SVM etc., required special formatting of input data.
You may try something like this:
cv::Mat trainingData(cv::Mat image)
{
cv::Mat trainingVector(image.rows*image.cols, 1, CV_32FC1);
for(int i = 0; i < image.rows; i++)
{
for(int j = 0; j < image.cols; j++)
{
float valueOfPixel = image.at<float>(i,j);
trainingVector.at<float>((i*image.cols)+j, 0) = valueOfPixel;
}
}
return trainingVector;
}
(Please recheck the syntax of the code before using, I just typed it out here)
So, what the above block effectively does is change the 2D matrix of the image into a 1D array. Now, how and where you use it depends on your requirements.
Please make necessary modifications before invoking the machine learning modules.
Hope this answers your question.
Thanks.