Experience Report:Embedded, Parallel Computer-Vision with a Functional DSL

摘要

This paper presents our experience using a domain-specific func-tional language, WaveScript, to build embedded sensing applica-tions used in scientific research. We focus on a recent computer-vision application for detecting birds in their natural environment. The application was ported from a prototype in C++. In reimple-menting the application, we gained a much cleaner factoring of its functionality (through higher-order functions and better inter-faces to libraries) and a near-linear parallel speed-up with no ad-ditional effort. These benefits are offset by one substantial down-side: 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. Categories and Subject Descriptors: D.3.2 Concurrent, distributed, and parallel languages; Applicative (functional) languages; Data-flow languages