Spatial-Aware Transformer (SAT): Enhancing Global Modeling in Transformer Segmentation for Remote Sensing Images

Abstract

In this research, we present the Spatial-Aware Transformer (SAT), an enhanced implementation of the Swin Transformer module, purposed to augment the global modeling capabilities of existing transformer segmentation mechanisms within remote sensing. The current landscape of transformer segmentation techniques is encumbered by an inability to effectively model global dependencies, a deficiency that is especially pronounced in the context of occluded objects. Our innovative solution embeds spatial information into the Swin Transformer block, facilitating the creation of pixel-level correlations, and thereby significantly elevating the feature representation potency for occluded subjects. We have incorporated a boundary-aware module into our decoder to mitigate the commonly encountered shortcoming of inaccurate boundary segmentation. This component serves as an innovative refinement instrument, fortifying the precision of boundary demarcation. After these strategic enhancements, the Spatial-Aware Transformer achieved state-of-the-art performance benchmarks on the Potsdam, Vaihingen, and Aerial datasets, demonstrating its superior capabilities in recognizing occluded objects and distinguishing unique features, even under challenging conditions. This investigation constitutes a significant advancement toward optimizing transformer segmentation algorithms in remote sensing, opening a wealth of opportunities for future research and development.