Skip to main content

Sketch-a-net can identify that drawing better than you can

sketch a net can identify that drawing better than you screen shot 2015 07 21 at 8 40 29 pm
Queen Mary University of London
It’s like Spotify, only for images. That seems to be the guiding principle behind Sketch-a-net, a new computer program that claims to yield “sketch recognition performance surpassing that of humans.” According to scientists from Queen Mary University of London, a new deep neural network that mimics (and purportedly surpasses) the behavior of the human brain, is able to correctly identify the objects drawn in human sketches 74.9 percent of the time. In comparison, humans are able to guess correctly just 73.1 percent of the time. While the margin of difference may not be all that substantial, it is interesting to note that the computers are doing it better than we are, even though the drawings are human-generated.

And when asked to distinguish objects at a higher level of detail, Sketch-a-net really set itself apart from humans, correctly differentiating among seagulls, flying birds, standing birds, and pigeons 42.5 percent of the time. Humans, on the other hand, were only correct 24.8 percent of the time. And as this technology becomes more and more robust, researchers say that it could be combined with existing touchscreen capacities to create more precise search results — after all, sometimes, showing really is better than telling (or in this case, drawing is better than typing).

Recommended Videos

According to researchers, part of the computer program’s success comes from its ability to identify the order in which the strokes in a drawing were made. As a result, if you’re a particularly erratic sketcher (or an abstract artist), the computer may meet with less success. Researchers also note that their use of “a network architecture designed for sketch rather than natural photo statistics” helped them achieve great success in identification.

Study co-author Dr. Timothy Hospedales told GizMag, “It’s exciting that our computer program can solve the task even better than humans can. Sketches are an interesting area to study because they have been used since prehistoric times for communication and now, with the increase in use of touchscreens, they are becoming a much more common communication tool again.”

So the next time you play Pictionary, consider bringing a computer into the fold. It may wind up beating all your human friends.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
AMD CEO has good news about the chip shortage, but you still can’t buy a GPU
AMD CEO Lisa Su holding a graphics card.

After more than a year of bad news, AMD CEO Lisa Su finally has some good news about the chip shortage. Speaking with CNBC, the semiconductor executive said the the chip shortage will improve throughout the second half of 2022, though she warned that supply will remain tight until then.

Although we've mainly focused on the GPU shortage, the implications of the chip shortage reach much further. As Su noted in her interview at the Code Conference tech event, the semiconductor industry has always experienced peaks and valleys in balancing supply and demand. "This time, it’s different," she noted.

Read more
Intel’s Arc Alchemist GPUs could be in better shape than we expected
LEDs forming a graphics card.

Intel is gearing up to launch its first generation of high-performance graphics cards, and the leaks just keep coming. According to the latest rumors, Intel is set to launch three graphics cards in the Arc Alchemist lineup, noted by "Arc axxx" branding. Rumors also suggest that the flagship card will reach higher than we previously thought, maybe even outperforming the RTX 3070.

Most of the new information comes from Moore's Law is Dead, a YouTube channel dedicated to leaks and analysis of PC hardware. According to a video, multiple sources close to Intel Arc Alchemist's development have said that the flagship card could reach levels of the RTX 3070. One source said it's "at least" as powerful as an RTX 3060 Ti, with another noting that driver optimization has been the biggest hurdle so far.

Read more
This diorama is the meta gaming PC of my dreams — and you can win it
Gaming PC that looks like an office.

You've seen this setup before. A TV mounted on the wall with mock Joy-Cons on the sides, triple monitors next to a hefty battle station, and enough Nanoleaf triangles for an official "content creator" badge. Now imagine if you could take that iconic gaming room of all of our dreams, shrink it down, and stick a gaming PC inside. That's exactly what Suchao Modding & Design did.

As part of Intel Gamer Days, the Thailand-based outfit stuffed a high-spec gaming PC into a diorama of a gaming battle station. The room comes fit with triple monitors --  set atop an RTX 3060 Ti desk -- a mock PlayStation 5, a Pac-Man arcade cabinet, and a water-cooling reservoir disguised as a fish tank. Plus, of course, enough RGB to make a pony puke.

Read more