# Combining the Best of Convolutional Layers and Recurrent Layers: A Hybrid Network for Semantic Segmentation Source: [Combining the Best of Convolutional Layers and Recurrent Layers: A Hybrid Network for Semantic Segmentation]() Collection index: [llms.txt]() Data updated: 2025-10-25T20:18:31.734Z Authors: Zhicheng Yan, Hao Zhang, Yangqing Jia, Thomas Breuel, Yizhou Yu Published: 2016-03-15T20:10:48.000Z ## Abstract State-of-the-art results of semantic segmentation are established by Fully Convolutional neural Networks (FCNs). FCNs rely on cascaded convolutional and pooling layers to gradually enlarge the receptive fields of neurons, resulting in an indirect way of modeling the distant contextual dependence. In this work, we advocate the use of spatially recurrent layers (i.e. ReNet layers) which directly capture global contexts and lead to improved feature representations. We demonstrate the effectiveness of ReNet layers by building a Naive deep ReNet (N-ReNet), which achieves competitive performance on Stanford Background dataset. Furthermore, we integrate ReNet layers with FCNs, and develop a novel Hybrid deep ReNet (H-ReNet). It enjoys a few remarkable properties, including full-image receptive fields, end-to-end training, and efficient network execution. On the PASCAL VOC 2012 benchmark, the H-ReNet improves the results of state-of-the-art approaches Piecewise, CRFasRNN and DeepParsing by 3.6%, 2.3% and 0.2%, respectively, and achieves the highest IoUs for 13 out of the 20 object classes. ## Recorded benchmark results A research result applies to its stated dataset, split, metric and evaluation configuration. Compare like-for-like settings, preserve the metric's unit and direction, and distinguish paper-reported results from independent reproduction. The best result recorded here is not a claim of exhaustive, current global coverage. - [Semantic Segmentation on PASCAL VOC 2012 (test)](): Semantic segmentation; PASCAL VOC 2012 (test); mIoU: 76.8. ## Original sources and implementation [Original paper]() [PDF]()