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Experience report: embedded, parallel computer-vision with a functional DSL

Published:31 August 2009Publication History
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Abstract

This paper presents our experience using a domain-specific functional language, WaveScript, to build embedded sensing applications used in scientific research. We focus on a recent computervision application for detecting birds in their natural environment. The application was ported from a prototype in C++. In reimplementing the application, we gained a much cleaner factoring of its functionality (through higher-order functions and better interfaces to libraries) and a near-linear parallel speed-up with no additional effort. These benefits are offset by one substantial downside: the lack of familiarity with the language of the original vision researchers, who understandably tried to use the language in the familiar way they use C++ and thus ran into various problems.

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References

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            • Published in

              cover image ACM SIGPLAN Notices
              ACM SIGPLAN Notices  Volume 44, Issue 9
              ICFP '09
              September 2009
              343 pages
              ISSN:0362-1340
              EISSN:1558-1160
              DOI:10.1145/1631687
              Issue’s Table of Contents
              • cover image ACM Conferences
                ICFP '09: Proceedings of the 14th ACM SIGPLAN international conference on Functional programming
                August 2009
                364 pages
                ISBN:9781605583327
                DOI:10.1145/1596550

              Copyright © 2009 ACM

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              Association for Computing Machinery

              New York, NY, United States

              Publication History

              • Published: 31 August 2009

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