Deep learning-based visual recognition of rumex for robotic precision farming

In this paper we address the problem of recognising the Broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius L.) in grasslands from high-resolution 2D images. We discuss and present the determining factors for developing and implementing weed visual recognition algorithms using deep learning. This analysis, leads to the formulation of the proposed algorithm. Our implementation exploits Transfer Learning techniques for deep learning-based feature extraction, in combination with a classifier for weed recognition. A prototype robotic platform has been used to make available an image dataset from a dairy farm containing broad-leaved docks. The evaluation of the proposed algorithm on this dataset shows that it outperforms competing weed/plant recognition methods in recognition accuracy, while producing low false-positive rates under real-world operation conditions.