Small Object Detection Model with Spatial Laplacian Pyramid Attention and Multi-Scale Features Enhancement in Aerial Images

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Main Authors: Ji, Zhangjian, Yan, Huijia, Qiao, Shaotong, Feng, Kai, Wei, Wei
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Ji, Zhangjian
Yan, Huijia
Qiao, Shaotong
Feng, Kai
Wei, Wei
author_facet Ji, Zhangjian
Yan, Huijia
Qiao, Shaotong
Feng, Kai
Wei, Wei
contents Detecting objects in aerial images confronts some significant challenges, including small size, dense and non-uniform distribution of objects over high-resolution images, which makes detection inefficient. Thus, in this paper, we proposed a small object detection algorithm based on a Spatial Laplacian Pyramid Attention and Multi-Scale Feature Enhancement in aerial images. Firstly, in order to improve the feature representation of ResNet-50 on small objects, we presented a novel Spatial Laplacian Pyramid Attention (SLPA) module, which is integrated after each stage of ResNet-50 to identify and emphasize important local regions. Secondly, to enhance the model's semantic understanding and features representation, we designed a Multi-Scale Feature Enhancement Module (MSFEM), which is incorporated into the lateral connections of C5 layer for building Feature Pyramid Network (FPN). Finally, the features representation quality of traditional feature pyramid network will be affected because the features are not aligned when the upper and lower layers are fused. In order to handle it, we utilized deformable convolutions to align the features in the fusion processing of the upper and lower levels of the Feature Pyramid Network, which can help enhance the model's ability to detect and recognize small objects. The extensive experimental results on two benchmark datasets: VisDrone and DOTA demonstrate that our improved model performs better for small object detection in aerial images compared to the original algorithm.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_23031
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Small Object Detection Model with Spatial Laplacian Pyramid Attention and Multi-Scale Features Enhancement in Aerial Images
Ji, Zhangjian
Yan, Huijia
Qiao, Shaotong
Feng, Kai
Wei, Wei
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Detecting objects in aerial images confronts some significant challenges, including small size, dense and non-uniform distribution of objects over high-resolution images, which makes detection inefficient. Thus, in this paper, we proposed a small object detection algorithm based on a Spatial Laplacian Pyramid Attention and Multi-Scale Feature Enhancement in aerial images. Firstly, in order to improve the feature representation of ResNet-50 on small objects, we presented a novel Spatial Laplacian Pyramid Attention (SLPA) module, which is integrated after each stage of ResNet-50 to identify and emphasize important local regions. Secondly, to enhance the model's semantic understanding and features representation, we designed a Multi-Scale Feature Enhancement Module (MSFEM), which is incorporated into the lateral connections of C5 layer for building Feature Pyramid Network (FPN). Finally, the features representation quality of traditional feature pyramid network will be affected because the features are not aligned when the upper and lower layers are fused. In order to handle it, we utilized deformable convolutions to align the features in the fusion processing of the upper and lower levels of the Feature Pyramid Network, which can help enhance the model's ability to detect and recognize small objects. The extensive experimental results on two benchmark datasets: VisDrone and DOTA demonstrate that our improved model performs better for small object detection in aerial images compared to the original algorithm.
title Small Object Detection Model with Spatial Laplacian Pyramid Attention and Multi-Scale Features Enhancement in Aerial Images
topic Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.23031