0
Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Sign in to save

Swin Transformer-Based Framework for Floating Marine Debris Detection and Classification

2026
Yahia Hamdi, Mohamed Fnadi, Wenqian Du

Summary

An optimized Swin Transformer deep learning model achieved 98.5% accuracy in classifying floating marine debris in rivers, shorelines, and harbors, outperforming conventional CNNs. Automated, scalable debris detection supports real-time environmental monitoring and more effective cleanup of plastic pollution accumulation zones.

Body Systems

This paper presents an advanced deep learning approach for detecting and classifying floating debris in aquatic environments, with a particular focus on challenging accumulation zones such as rivers, shorelines, and harbor areas. We explore the Swin Transformer (Swin-T) architecture and conduct systematic hyperparameter optimization to maximize its capability in capturing both local and global visual features. Through extensive Bayesian optimization and fine-tuning, we benchmark the optimized Swin-T against state-of-the-art convolutional neural networks, including ResNet-50, InceptionV3, VGG-19, and Vision Transformers (ViT), using a newly curated dataset. To address data limitations, we compiled a comprehensive dataset by augmenting existing public collections with newly captured RGB images obtained under diverse hydrodynamic and lighting conditions. Our optimized Swin-T model achieves 98.5% classification accuracy and 52.3% mAP in debris detection, representing significant improvements over both baseline transformers and conventional CNNs. The study demonstrates that systematic hyperparameter optimization substantially enhances transformer-based models for marine debris monitoring, offering a more robust and scalable solution for environmental protection efforts.

Share this paper