Deep learning network for indoor point cloud semantic segmentation with transferability

Semantic segmentation is crucial for interpreting point cloud data and plays a fundamental role in automating the creation of as-built BIM. Existing neural network models for semantic segmentation often heavily rely on the training dataset, resulting in a significant performance drop when applied to new datasets. This paper presents AttTransNet, a neural network model for automated point cloud semantic segmentation. Its attention-based pooling module improves local feature extraction from point clouds while reducing computational costs. The transfer learning framework enhances segmentation accuracy with minimal training on target datasets. Comparative experiments show that AttTransNet reduces training time by 80 % and improves segmentation accuracy by over 20 % compared with other SOTA methods. Cross-dataset experiments reveal that the transfer learning framework increases accuracy on new datasets by 150 %. By adding semantic information to point clouds, AttTransNet aids BIM modelers with direct reference, encouraging broader application of automated point cloud segmentation in the industry.