# Multi-encoder ConvNeXt Network with Smooth Attentional Feature Fusion for Multispectral Semantic Segmentation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.10137 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.10137/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 17 of its 93 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 8 Feb 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 17 of 17)

- [A Simple Framework for Contrastive Learning of Visual Representations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2002.05709/) (2020)
- [Feature Pyramid Networks for Object Detection](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1612.03144/) (2016)
- [A ConvNet for the 2020s](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.03545/) (2022)
- [CBAM: Convolutional Block Attention Module](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1807.06521/) (2018)
- [Xception: Deep Learning with Depthwise Separable Convolutions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1610.02357/) (2016)
- [Real-Time Single Image and Video Super-Resolution Using an Efficient Sub-Pixel Convolutional Neural Network](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1609.05158/) (2016)
- [ADVENT: Adversarial Entropy Minimization for Domain Adaptation in Semantic Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1811.12833/) (2018)
- [SpectralGPT: Spectral Remote Sensing Foundation Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.07113/) (2023)
- [Land-Cover Classification with High-Resolution Remote Sensing Images Using Transferable Deep Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1807.05713/) (2018)
- [Contextual Hourglass Network for Semantic Segmentation of High Resolution Aerial Imagery](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1810.12813/) (2018)
- [Enabling Country-Scale Land Cover Mapping with Meter-Resolution Satellite Imagery](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.00727/) (2022)
- [Multi-stage Attention ResU-Net for Semantic Segmentation of Fine-Resolution Remote Sensing Images](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2011.14302/) (2020)
- [Self-supervised remote sensing feature learning: Learning Paradigms, Challenges, and Future Works](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.08129/) (2022)
- [A review of machine learning in processing remote sensing data for mineral exploration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.07678/) (2021)
- [False: False Negative Samples Aware Contrastive Learning for Semantic Segmentation of High-Resolution Remote Sensing Image](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.07928/) (2022)
- [An Attention-Fused Network for Semantic Segmentation of Very-High-Resolution Remote Sensing Imagery](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.04132/) (2021)
- [Finding Differences Between Transformers and ConvNets Using Counterfactual Simulation Testing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.16499/) (2022)

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [A Parameter-efficient Convolutional Approach for Camouflaged Weed Detection in Multispectral Aerial Imagery](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.06655/) (2026)
- [StrokeNeXt: A Siamese-encoder Approach for Brain Stroke Classification in Computed Tomography Imagery](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.15087/) (2026)
- [Lightweight Polyp Segmentation via a Gain-Aware Prediction-Space Recursive Controller](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.03062/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This work proposes MeCSAFNet, a multi-branch encoder-decoder architecture for land cover segmentation in multispectral imagery. The model separately processes visible and non-visible channels through dual ConvNeXt encoders, followed by individual decoders that reconstruct spatial information. A dedicated fusion decoder integrates intermediate features at multiple scales, combining fine spatial cues with high-level spectral representations. The feature fusion is further enhanced with CBAM attention, and the ASAU activation function contributes to stable and efficient optimization. The model is designed to process different spectral configurations, including a 4-channel (4c) input combining RGB and NIR bands, as well as a 6-channel (6c) input incorporating NDVI and NDWI indices. Experiments on the Five-Billion-Pixels (FBP) and Potsdam datasets demonstrate significant performance gains. On FBP, MeCSAFNet-base (6c) surpasses U-Net (4c) by +19.21%, U-Net (6c) by +14.72%, SegFormer (4c) by +19.62%, and SegFormer (6c) by +14.74% in mIoU. On Potsdam, MeCSAFNet-large (4c) improves over DeepLabV3+ (4c) by +6.48%, DeepLabV3+ (6c) by +5.85%, SegFormer (4c) by +9.11%, and SegFormer (6c) by +4.80% in mIoU. The model also achieves consistent gains over several recent state-of-the-art approaches. Moreover, compact variants of MeCSAFNet deliver notable performance with lower training time and reduced inference cost, supporting their deployment in resource-constrained environments. Model code is available at: https://github.com/Leo-Thomas/mecsafnet