Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

12-2018

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Department

Computer Engineering and Computer Science

Degree Program

Computer Science, MS

Committee Chair

Frigui, Hichem

Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)

Amini, Amir

Committee Member

Amini, Amir

Committee Member

Nasraoui, Olfa

Author's Keywords

label propagation; machine learning; k-nearest neighbors; landmine detection; edge histogram descriptors; fuzzy logic

Abstract

Landmine detection is imperative for the preservation of both military and civilian lives. While landmines are easy to place, they are relatively difficult to remove. The classic method of detecting landmines was by using metal-detectors. However, many present-day landmines are composed of little to no metal, necessitating the use of additional technologies. One of the most successful and widely employed technologies is Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). In order to maximize efficiency of GPR-based landmine detection and minimize wasted effort caused by false alarms, intelligent detection methods such as machine learning are used. Many sophisticated algorithms are developed and employed to accomplish this. One such successful algorithm is K Nearest Neighbors (KNN) classification. Most of these algorithms, including KNN, are based on supervised learning, which requires labeling of known data. This process can be tedious. Semi-supervised learning leverages both labeled and unlabeled data in the training process, alleviating over-dependency on labeling. Semi-supervised learning has several advantages over supervised learning. For example, it applies well to large datasets because it uses the topology of unlabeled data to classify test data. Also, by allowing unlabeled data to influence classification, one set of training data can be adopted into varying test environments. In this thesis, we explore a graph-based learning method known as Label Propagation as an alternative classifier to KNN classification, and validate its use on vehicle-mounted and handheld GPR systems.

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