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Main Authors: Li, Dachong, Li, Li, Chen, Zhuangzhuang, Li, Jianqiang
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.12736
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author Li, Dachong
Li, Li
Chen, Zhuangzhuang
Li, Jianqiang
author_facet Li, Dachong
Li, Li
Chen, Zhuangzhuang
Li, Jianqiang
contents Large kernels make standard convolutional neural networks (CNNs) great again over transformer architectures in various vision tasks. Nonetheless, recent studies meticulously designed around increasing kernel size have shown diminishing returns or stagnation in performance. Thus, the hidden factors of large kernel convolution that affect model performance remain unexplored. In this paper, we reveal that the key hidden factors of large kernels can be summarized as two separate components: extracting features at a certain granularity and fusing features by multiple pathways. To this end, we leverage the multi-path long-distance sparse dependency relationship to enhance feature utilization via the proposed Shiftwise (SW) convolution operator with a pure CNN architecture. In a wide range of vision tasks such as classification, segmentation, and detection, SW surpasses state-of-the-art transformers and CNN architectures, including SLaK and UniRepLKNet. More importantly, our experiments demonstrate that $3 \times 3$ convolutions can replace large convolutions in existing large kernel CNNs to achieve comparable effects, which may inspire follow-up works. Code and all the models at https://github.com/lidc54/shift-wiseConv.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2401_12736
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle $ShiftwiseConv:$ Small Convolutional Kernel with Large Kernel Effect
Li, Dachong
Li, Li
Chen, Zhuangzhuang
Li, Jianqiang
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Large kernels make standard convolutional neural networks (CNNs) great again over transformer architectures in various vision tasks. Nonetheless, recent studies meticulously designed around increasing kernel size have shown diminishing returns or stagnation in performance. Thus, the hidden factors of large kernel convolution that affect model performance remain unexplored. In this paper, we reveal that the key hidden factors of large kernels can be summarized as two separate components: extracting features at a certain granularity and fusing features by multiple pathways. To this end, we leverage the multi-path long-distance sparse dependency relationship to enhance feature utilization via the proposed Shiftwise (SW) convolution operator with a pure CNN architecture. In a wide range of vision tasks such as classification, segmentation, and detection, SW surpasses state-of-the-art transformers and CNN architectures, including SLaK and UniRepLKNet. More importantly, our experiments demonstrate that $3 \times 3$ convolutions can replace large convolutions in existing large kernel CNNs to achieve comparable effects, which may inspire follow-up works. Code and all the models at https://github.com/lidc54/shift-wiseConv.
title $ShiftwiseConv:$ Small Convolutional Kernel with Large Kernel Effect
topic Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.12736