Convolutional Layer
Back to glossaryWhat Is a Convolution?
Convolution is an orderly procedure where two sources of information are intertwined; it’s an operation that changes a function into something else. Convolutions have been used for a long time typically in image processing to blur and sharpen images, but also to perform other operations. (e.g. enhance edges and emboss) CNNs enforce a local connectivity pattern between neurons of adjacent layers.
- Convolution
- Non Linearity (ReLU)
- Pooling or Sub Sampling
- Classification (Fully Connected Layer)
The 2D Convolution Layer
The most common type of convolution that is used is the 2D convolution layer and is usually abbreviated as conv2D. A filter or a kernel in a conv2D layer “slides” over the 2D input data, performing an elementwise multiplication. As a result, it will be summing up the results into a single output pixel. The kernel will perform the same operation for every location it slides over, transforming a 2D matrix of features into a different 2D matrix of features.The Dilated or Atrous Convolution
This operation expands window size without increasing the number of weights by inserting zero-values into convolution kernels. Dilated or Atrous Convolutions can be used in real time applications and in applications where the processing power is less as the RAM requirements are less intensive.Separable Convolutions
There are two main types of separable convolutions: spatial separable convolutions, and depthwise separable convolutions. The spatial separable convolution deals primarily with the spatial dimensions of an image and kernel: the width and the height. Compared to spatial separable convolutions, depthwise separable convolutions work with kernels that cannot be “factored” into two smaller kernels. As a result, it is more frequently used.Transposed Convolutions
These types of comvolutions are also known as deconvolutions or fractionally strided convolutions. A transposed convolutional layer carries out a regular convolution but reverts its spatial transformation.Additional Resources
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