XTNSR: Xception-based transformer network for single image super resolution

Abstract

Single image super resolution has significantly advanced by utilizing transformers-based deep learning algorithms. However, challenges still need to be addressed in handling grid-like image patches with higher computational demands and addressing issues like over-smoothing in visual patches. This paper presents a Deep Learning model for single-image super-resolution. In this paper, we present the XTNSR model, a novel multi-path network architecture that combines Local feature window transformers (LWFT) with Xception blocks for single-image super-resolution. The model processes grid-like image patches effectively and reduces computational complexity by integrating a Patch Embedding layer. Whereas the Xception blocks use depth-wise separable convolutions for hierarchical feature extraction, the LWFT blocks capture long-range dependencies and fine-grained qualities. A multi-layer feature fusion block with skip connections, part of this hybrid architecture, guarantees efficient local and global feature fusion. The experimental results show better performance in Peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index measure (SSIM), and visual quality than the state-of-the-art techniques. By optimizing parameters, the suggested architecture also lowers computational complexity. Overall, the architecture presents a promising approach for advancing image super-resolution capabilities.