Beyond-application datasets and automated fair benchmarking

Licentiate thesis, 2023

Beyond-application perception datasets are generalised datasets that emphasise the fundamental components of good machine perception data. When analysing the history of perception datatsets, notable trends suggest that design of the dataset typically aligns with an application goal. Instead of focusing on a specific application, beyond-application datasets instead look at capturing high-quality, high-volume data from a highly kinematic environment, for the purpose of aiding algorithm development and testing in general. Algorithm benchmarking is a cornerstone of autonomous systems development, and allows developers to demonstrate their results in a comparative manner. However, most benchmarking systems allow developers to use their own hardware or select favourable data. There is also little focus on run time performance and consistency, with benchmarking systems instead showcasing algorithm accuracy. By combining both beyond-application dataset generation and methods for fair benchmarking, there is also the dilemma of how to provide the dataset to developers for this benchmarking, as the result of a high-volume, high-quality dataset generation is a significant increase in dataset size when compared to traditional perception datasets.

This thesis presents the first results of attempting the creation of such a dataset. The dataset was built using a maritime platform, selected due to the highly dynamic environment presented on water. The design and initial testing of this platform is detailed, as well as as methods of sensor validation. Continuing, the thesis then presents a method of fair benchmarking, by utilising remote containerisation in a way that allows developers to present their software to the dataset, instead of having to first locally store a copy. To test this dataset and automatic online benchmarking, a number of reference algorithms were required for initial results. Three algorithms were built, using the data from three different sensors captured on the maritime platform. Each algorithm calculates vessel odometry, and the automatic benchmarking system was utilised to show the accuracy and run-time performance of these algorithms. It was found that the containerised approach alleviated data management concerns, prevented inflated accuracy results, and demonstrated precisely how computationally intensive each algorithm was.