Object Detection Based on CNN and Vision-Transformer: A Survey

Object detection is the most crucial and challenging task of computer vision and has been used in various fields in recent years, such as autonomous driving and industrial inspection. Traditional object detection methods are mainly based on the sliding windows and the handcrafted features, which have problems such as insufficient understanding of image features and low accuracy of detection. With the rapid advancements in deep learning, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and vision transformers have become fundamental components in object detection models. These components are capable of learning more advanced and deeper image properties, leading to a transformational breakthrough in the performance of object detection. In this review, we comprehensively review the representative object detection models from deep learning periods, tracing their architectural shifts and technological breakthroughs. Furthermore, we discuss key challenges and promising research directions in the object detection. This review aims to provide a comprehensive foundation for practitioners to enhance their understanding of object detection technologies.