🌟 Summary

The v8.3.56 release introduces GPU support for PaddlePaddle inference and export, along with several key bug fixes, usability enhancements, and documentation updates. 🚀

📊 Key Changes

1. PaddlePaddle GPU Inference:

   • Added GPU support for PaddlePaddle inference by dynamically checking CUDA availability.
   • Improved compatibility in PaddlePaddle dataloader handling.

2. UTF-8 Bug Fix:

   • Resolved encoding issues in convert_coco when dealing with non-UTF-8 annotation files.

3. Dataset Annotation Optimizations:

   • Improved performance and speed for large annotations in the GroundingDataset class.

4. Export Enhancements:

   • OpenVINO INT8 Export Fix: Resolved an OpenVINO export error by resetting clip_model during export.
   • IMX Export Clarification: Limited IMX export support exclusively to YOLOv8n models.
   • ONNX2TF Compatibility: Updated compatibility with onnx2tf library (v1.26.3), fixing memory and bloated file issues.

5. Documentation Improvements:

   • Deprecated Jupyter documentation in favor of a markdown-based structure (e.g., explorer.md).
   • Simplified NVIDIA Jetson setup steps by adding streamlined installation commands for PyTorch and Torchvision.
   • Added new guides for thread-safe inference and ROS integration for robotics applications.

6. Minor Model Updates:

   • Clarified YOLOv6 configuration by emphasizing YAML-based model definitions instead of weight files.

🎯 Purpose & Impact

• Improved Compatibility: Seamless PaddlePaddle operations on GPU ensure better flexibility for diverse hardware setups. 🖥️⚡
• Faster Annotations: Accelerated handling of large datasets benefits advanced AI workflows. 🕒✨
• Enhanced Export Reliability: Fixes to export pipelines (OpenVINO, IMX, ONNX2TF) ensure robust and error-free deployment. 📦✅
• Accessible Learning Resources: Documentation enrichments support a smoother onboarding of new users and integrations in fields like robotics. 📚🤖
• Streamlined User Experience: Simplified installation and setup processes save time and reduce confusion for developers. 🛠️🎉

This release continues to refine functionality and usability for both developers and users across varied use cases.

What's Changed

• Fixed UTF-8 bug in convert_coco by @oleg-pereziabov in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18412
• Reduced GroundingDataset annotation unpacking speed by @Lornatang in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18382
• Fix Path objects lacking split method by @Le0v1n in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18427
• Fix Docs depth: 1 missing authors by @glenn-jocher in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18434
• Fix checkout action arg fetch-depth by @glenn-jocher in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18436
• Align Guides headings with mkdocs by @RizwanMunawar in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18431
• PyCharm Docs Inspect fixes by @RizwanMunawar in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18432
• Replace explorer notebook with explorer.md docs page by @RizwanMunawar in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18459
• Add missing .pt extension to filenames by @Y-T-G in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18456
• Update Jetson Doc with torch and torchvision for JetPack 5.1.2 by @lakshanthad in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18444
• Update DeepStream Doc with YOLO11 and DeepStream 7.1 by @lakshanthad in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18443
• Update information about YOLOv6 pretrained weights by @Y-T-G in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18450
• Delete clip_model to avoid errors on export by @Y-T-G in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18445
• Add TrackZone test in test_solutions.py by @RizwanMunawar in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18411
• Add note that IMX export is only supported for YOLOv8n by @Y-T-G in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18460
• Bump maximum version for onnx2tf to 1.26.3 by @Y-T-G in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18467
• ultralytics 8.3.56 PaddlePaddle GPU Inference support by @zldrobit in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18468

New Contributors

• @Le0v1n made their first contribution in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18427
• @oleg-pereziabov made their first contribution in https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/pull/18412

Full Changelog: https://github.com/ultralytics/ultralytics/compare/v8.3.55...v8.3.56