2021
,
Heidemann, Lena
,
Schwaiger, Adrian
,
Roscher, Karsten
Deep ensembles have been shown to perform well on a variety of tasks in terms of accuracy, uncertainty estimation, and further robustness metrics. The diversity among ensemble members is often named as the main reason for this. Due to its complex and indefinite nature, diversity can be expressed by a multitude of metrics. In this paper, we aim to explore the relation of a selection of these diversity metrics among each other, as well as their link to different measures of robustness. Specifically, we address two questions: To what extent can ensembles with the same training conditions differ in their performance and robustness? And are diversity metrics suitable for selecting members to form a more robust ensemble? To this end, we independently train 20 models for each task and compare all possible ensembles of 5 members on several robustness metrics, including the performance on corrupted images, out-of-distribution detection, and quality of uncertainty estimation. Our findings reveal that ensembles trained with the same conditions can differ significantly in their robustness, especially regarding out-of-distribution detection capabilities. Across all setups, using different datasets and model architectures, we see that, in terms of robustness metrics, choosing ensemble members based on the considered diversity metrics seldom exceeds the baseline of a selection based on the accuracy. We conclude that there is significant potential to improve the formation of robust deep ensembles and that novel and more sophisticated diversity metrics could be beneficial in that regard.
2021
,
Henne, Maximilian
,
Gansloser, Jens
,
Schwaiger, Adrian
,
Weiß, Gereon
In our modern life, automated systems are already omnipresent. The latest advances in machine learning (ML) help with increasing automation and the fast-paced progression towards autonomous systems. However, as such methods are not inherently trustworthy and are being introduced into safety-critical systems, additional means are needed. In autonomous driving, for example, we can derive the main challenges when introducing ML in the form of deep neural networks (DNNs) for vehicle perception. DNNs are overconfident in their predictions and assume high confidence scores in the wrong situations. To counteract this, we have introduced several techniques to estimate the uncertainty of the results of DNNs. In addition, we present what are known as out-of-distribution detection methods that identify unknown concepts that have not been learned beforehand, thus helping to avoid making wrong decisions. For the task of reliably detecting objects in 2D and 3D, we will outline further methods. To apply ML in the perception pipeline of autonomous systems, we propose using the supplementary information from these methods for more reliable decision-making. Our evaluations with respect to safety-related metrics show the potential of this approach. Moreover, we have applied these enhanced ML methods and newly developed ones to the autonomous driving use case. In variable environmental conditions, such as road scenarios, light, or weather, we have been able to enhance the reliability of perception in automated driving systems. Our ongoing and future research is on further evaluating and improving the trustworthiness of ML methods to use them safely and to a high level of performance in various types of autonomous systems, ranging from vehicles to autonomous mobile robots, to medical devices.