# Running TF2 Detection API Models on mobile

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[TensorFlow Lite](https://www.tensorflow.org/mobile/tflite/)(TFLite) is
TensorFlow’s lightweight solution for mobile and embedded devices. It enables
on-device machine learning inference with low latency and a small binary size.
TensorFlow Lite uses many techniques for this such as quantized kernels that
allow smaller and faster (fixed-point math) models.

This document shows how elgible models from the
[TF2 Detection zoo](https://github.com/tensorflow/models/blob/master/research/object_detection/g3doc/tf2_detection_zoo.md)
can be converted for inference with TFLite.

**NOTE:** TFLite currently only supports **SSD Architectures** (excluding
EfficientDet) for boxes-based detection. Support for EfficientDet is coming
soon.

The output model has the following inputs & outputs:

```
One input:
  image: a float32 tensor of shape[1, height, width, 3] containing the
  *normalized* input image.
  NOTE: See the `preprocess` function defined in the feature extractor class
  in the object_detection/models directory.

Four Outputs:
  detection_boxes: a float32 tensor of shape [1, num_boxes, 4] with box
  locations
  detection_classes: a float32 tensor of shape [1, num_boxes]
  with class indices
  detection_scores: a float32 tensor of shape [1, num_boxes]
  with class scores
  num_boxes: a float32 tensor of size 1 containing the number of detected boxes
```

There are two steps to TFLite conversion:

### Step 1: Export TFLite inference graph

This step generates an intermediate SavedModel that can be used with the
[TFLite Converter](https://www.tensorflow.org/lite/convert) via commandline or
Python API.

To use the script:

```bash
# From the tensorflow/models/research/ directory
python object_detection/export_tflite_graph_tf2.py \
    --pipeline_config_path path/to/ssd_model/pipeline.config \
    --trained_checkpoint_dir path/to/ssd_model/checkpoint \
    --output_directory path/to/exported_model_directory
```

Use `--help` with the aboev script to get the full list of supported parameters.

### Step 2: Convert to TFLite

Use the [TensorFlow Lite Converter](https://www.tensorflow.org/lite/convert) to
convert the `SavedModel` to TFLite. You can also leverage
[Post-training Quantization](https://www.tensorflow.org/lite/performance/post_training_quantization)
to
[optimize performance](https://www.tensorflow.org/lite/performance/model_optimization)
and obtain a smaller model. Note that you need to use `from_saved_model` for
TFLite conversion with the Python API.

## Running our model on Android

To run our TensorFlow Lite model on device, we will use Android Studio to build
and run the TensorFlow Lite detection example with the new model. The example is
found in the
[TensorFlow examples repository](https://github.com/tensorflow/examples) under
`/lite/examples/object_detection`. The example can be built with
[Android Studio](https://developer.android.com/studio/index.html), and requires
the
[Android SDK with build tools](https://developer.android.com/tools/revisions/build-tools.html)
that support API >= 21. Additional details are available on the
[TensorFlow Lite example page](https://github.com/tensorflow/examples/tree/master/lite/examples/object_detection/android).

Next we need to point the app to our new detect.tflite file and give it the
names of our new labels. Specifically, we will copy our TensorFlow Lite
flatbuffer to the app assets directory with the following command:

```shell
mkdir $TF_EXAMPLES/lite/examples/object_detection/android/app/src/main/assets
cp /tmp/tflite/detect.tflite \
  $TF_EXAMPLES/lite/examples/object_detection/android/app/src/main/assets
```

You will also need to copy your new labelmap labelmap.txt to the assets
directory.

We will now edit the gradle build file to use these assets. First, open the
`build.gradle` file
`$TF_EXAMPLES/lite/examples/object_detection/android/app/build.gradle`. Comment
out the model download script to avoid your assets being overwritten: `// apply
from:'download_model.gradle'` ```

If your model is named `detect.tflite`, and your labels file `labelmap.txt`, the
example will use them automatically as long as they've been properly copied into
the base assets directory. If you need to use a custom path or filename, open up
the
$TF_EXAMPLES/lite/examples/object_detection/android/app/src/main/java/org/tensorflow/demo/DetectorActivity.java
file in a text editor and find the definition of TF_OD_API_LABELS_FILE. Update
this path to point to your new label map file: "labels_list.txt". Note that if
your model is quantized, the flag TF_OD_API_IS_QUANTIZED is set to true, and if
your model is floating point, the flag TF_OD_API_IS_QUANTIZED is set to false.
This new section of DetectorActivity.java should now look as follows for a
quantized model:

```shell
  private static final boolean TF_OD_API_IS_QUANTIZED = true;
  private static final String TF_OD_API_MODEL_FILE = "detect.tflite";
  private static final String TF_OD_API_LABELS_FILE = "labels_list.txt";
```

Once you’ve copied the TensorFlow Lite model and edited the gradle build script
to not use the downloaded assets, you can build and deploy the app using the
usual Android Studio build process.
