Custom median pooling in tensorflow - tensorflow

Question

I am trying to implement a median pooling layer in tensorflow.
However there is neither tf.nn.median_pool and neither tf.reduce_median.
Is there a way to implement such pooling layer with the python api ?

Answer 1

You could use something like:
patches = tf.extract_image_patches(tensor, [1, k, k, 1], ...)
m_idx = int(k*k/2+1)
top = tf.top_k(patches, m_idx, sorted=True)
median = tf.slice(top, [0, 0, 0, m_idx-1], [-1, -1, -1, 1])
To accommodate even sized median kernels and multiple channels, you will need to extend this, but this should get you most of the way.

Answer 2

As of March 2017, an easier answer (that under the hood works similarly to how Alex suggested) is to do this:
patches = tf.extract_image_patches(x, [1, k, k, 1], [1, k, k, 1], 4*[1], 'VALID')
medians = tf.contrib.distributions.percentile(patches, 50, axis=3)

Answer 3

For me, Alex's answer is not working for tf 1.4.1.
tf.top_k should be tf.nn.top_k
and should get values of tf.nn.top_k
Also, if the input is [1, H, W, C], either answer could not only work on height and width and neglect the channel.

Answer 4

Channel-wise median-pooling can be done by some addition reshapes on top of other answers:
# assuming NHWC layout
strides = rates = [1, 1, 1, 1]
patches = tf.extract_image_patches(x, [1, k, k, 1], strides, rates, 'VALID')
batch_size = tf.shape(x)[0]
n_channels = tf.shape(x)[-1]
n_patches_h = (tf.shape(x)[1] - k) // strides[1] + 1
n_patches_w = (tf.shape(x)[2] - k) // strides[2] + 1
n_patches = tf.shape(patches)[-1] // n_channels
patches = tf.reshape(patches, [batch_size, k, k, n_patches_h * n_patches_w, n_channels])
medians = tf.contrib.distributions.percentile(patches, 50, axis=[1,2])
medians = tf.reshape(medians, (batch_size, n_patches_h, n_patches_w, n_channels))
Not very efficient though.

Answer 5

I was looking for a median filter for tensorflowjs but can't seem to find one. tfa has a median filter now I think but for tf.js you can use this. Not sure if it would work on nodegpu.
function medianFilter(x, filter, strides, pad) {
//make Kernal
//todo allow for filter as array or number
let filterSize = filter ** 2;
let locs = tf.range(0, filterSize, filterSize );
//makes a bunc of arrays each one reprensentin one of the valuesin the median window ie 2x2 filter i in chanle and 4 out chanles
let f = tf.oneHot(tf.range(0,filterSize,1, 'int32'), filterSize).reshape([filter, filter, 1, filterSize]);
let y = tf.conv2d(x,f,strides,pad);
let m_idx = Math.floor(filterSize/2)+1;
let top = tf.topk(y, m_idx, true);
//note that thse are 3d tensors and if you use 4d ones add a 0 and -1 infron like in above ansowers
let median = tf.slice(top.values, [0,0,m_idx-1], [-1,-1,1] );
return median;
}