Object-Oriented Model Learning through Multi-Level Abstraction
Authors: Guangxiang Zhu, Jianhao Wang, ZhiZhou Ren, Chongjie Zhang
Keywords: action-conditioned dynamics learning, deep learning, generalization, interpretability, sample efficiency
Abstract: Object-based approaches for learning action-conditioned dynamics has demonstrated promise for generalization and interpretability. However, existing  approaches suffer from structural limitations and optimization difficulties for common environments with multiple dynamic objects. In this paper, we present a novel self-supervised learning framework, called Multi-level Abstraction Object-oriented Predictor (MAOP), for learning object-based dynamics models from raw visual observations. MAOP employs a three-level learning architecture that enables efficient dynamics learning for complex environments with a dynamic background. We also design a spatial-temporal relational reasoning mechanism to support instance-level dynamics learning and handle partial observability. Empirical results show that MAOP significantly outperforms previous methods in terms of sample efficiency and generalization over novel environments that have multiple controllable and uncontrollable dynamic objects and different static object layouts. In addition, MAOP learns semantically and visually interpretable disentangled representations.