# 04. ML Model Loading, Inference Pipeline, and Confidence Scoring meta: id: hyper-specific-plant-disease-id-04 feature: hyper-specific-plant-disease-id priority: P1 depends_on: [hyper-specific-plant-disease-id-02, hyper-specific-plant-disease-id-03] tags: [ml, inference, backend] objective: - Integrate a custom TensorFlow.js or ONNX-compatible plant disease classifier model into the Next.js API layer — handle model loading, batched inference, confidence scoring, and result ranking against the knowledge base. deliverables: - `lib/ml/model-loader.ts` — singleton model loader that lazy-loads the TF.js/ONNX model and caches it in memory - `lib/ml/inference.ts` — `runInference(imageTensor: Float32Array): Promise` returning top-K class probabilities - `lib/ml/labels.ts` — class label mapping (model output index → disease ID / "healthy" / "unknown") - `lib/ml/confidence.ts` — softmax + confidence calibration, threshold logic (high ≥0.8, medium ≥0.5, low <0.5) - `app/api/identify/route.ts` — `POST /api/identify` accepting `{ imageId }`, running full pipeline, returning ranked results with knowledge base enrichment - `lib/api/identify.ts` — client helper to call the identify endpoint steps: 1. Set up model storage and loading: - Place compiled model files (`model.json` + weight shards) in `public/models/plant-disease-classifier/`. - Implement `lib/ml/model-loader.ts` with lazy singleton pattern — loads model on first call, keeps in `globalThis` cache for subsequent calls. - Support both TensorFlow.js (`@tensorflow/tfjs-node` for server, `@tensorflow/tfjs` for client fallback) and ONNX Runtime (`onnxruntime-node`). - Graceful fallback: if no model file found, use a deterministic mock returning "model not loaded" with explanatory message. 2. Build `lib/ml/inference.ts`: - Accept normalized Float32Array of shape `[1, 3, 224, 224]`. - Run model forward pass. - Apply softmax to logits. - Return top-5 predictions with class indices and raw probabilities. - Measure inference time and attach to result. 3. Implement `lib/ml/labels.ts`: - Map model output index → disease ID string (e.g., `0 → "tomato-early-blight"`, `1 → "tomato-late-blight"`, …). - Include `"healthy"` class for each plant. - Include `"unknown"` as final catch-all class. 4. Implement `lib/ml/confidence.ts`: - `calibrateConfidence(rawProb: number): { adjusted: number, label: "high" | "medium" | "low" }`. - Apply threshold logic: only return predictions above `minConfidence` (configurable, default 0.15). 5. Build `app/api/identify/route.ts`: - Accept `{ imageId }` in request body. - Load image from `public/uploads/{imageId}` and preprocess (reuse pipeline from task 03). - Run inference. - Look up each top-K disease ID in knowledge base (from task 02) to enrich with name, description, symptoms, treatment. - Enrich with lookalike disease cross-references. - Return: ```json { "predictions": [ { "diseaseId": "tomato-early-blight", "disease": { /* enriched from knowledge base */ }, "confidence": { "raw": 0.87, "adjusted": 0.91, "label": "high" }, "lookalikes": ["tomato-septoria-leaf-spot"] } ], "metadata": { "model": "plant-classifier-v1", "inferenceTimeMs": 320, "imageId": "..." } } ``` 6. Add `lib/api/identify.ts` — a typed client-side function that `POST`s to `/api/identify` with the imageId and returns the typed response. 7. If no model file is present at build/runtime, return a deterministic mock response with a `"demo_mode": true` flag so the UI still works for development. tests: - **Unit:** `softmax([1, 2, 3])` sums to ~1.0. - **Unit:** `calibrateConfidence(0.9)` returns label `"high"`. - **Unit:** Top-5 extraction returns exactly 5 entries sorted descending. - **Integration:** `POST /api/identify` with valid imageId returns 200 with predictions array. - **Integration:** `POST /api/identify` with invalid imageId returns 404. - **Integration:** Each prediction's `diseaseId` exists in knowledge base (cross-reference). - **Load:** Inference completes under 3 seconds (Vercel serverless timeout). - Potential issue: serverless functions may have higher GPU latency. - Mitigation: consider using Vercel Serverless GPU or a Node.js function with ONNX Runtime CPU. - For initial deployment, CPU inference with MobileNet-derived model under 5MB is acceptable (<1s on V8). acceptance_criteria: - Model loads once and caches for subsequent requests. - Inference returns top-5 predictions with confidence scores. - Each prediction is enriched with full knowledge base data. - Predictions include lookalike cross-references. - Response includes inference timing metadata. - Mock mode works when model file is absent. validation: ```bash # First upload an image UPLOAD_RESP=$(curl -X POST -F "image=@test-assets/tomato-leaf.jpg" http://localhost:3000/api/upload) IMAGE_ID=$(echo $UPLOAD_RESP | jq -r '.imageId') # Then identify curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d "{\"imageId\": \"$IMAGE_ID\"}" \ http://localhost:3000/api/identify | jq '.predictions[0].disease.name' # → "Early Blight" ``` notes: - A pre-trained MobileNetV2 fine-tuned on PlantVillage + augmented custom data is recommended — it's small (<10 MB), fast on CPU, and reasonably accurate. - The actual model training process is OUT OF SCOPE for this task. This task assumes a trained model file is provided. Seed a placeholder warning if missing. - If TF.js Node binding has issues, fall back to ONNX Runtime which is pure C++ and more stable on Lambda/Vercel. - Consider Vercel's maximum serverless function duration (60s on Pro, 10s on Hobby) — keep model <10 MB and inference <3s.