ultralytics 8.4.18

v8.4.18 - `ultralytics 8.4.18` `safe_download()` URLs with spaces (#23736)

on Python PyPI

🌟 Summary

Ultralytics v8.4.18 is a reliability-focused release that improves downloads and dependency installs, while also adding stronger ExecuTorch export support (including Pose) for smoother edge/mobile deployment 🚀.

📊 Key Changes

• 🔧 Priority fix (current PR): safe_download() now handles URLs with spaces by encoding spaces as %20 (PR #23736 by @glenn-jocher).
  • Prevents broken downloads from links like file paths or hosted assets containing spaces.
• 📱 Major export upgrade: ExecuTorch refactor + first-class utility module (PR #23734 by @lakshanthad).
  • New ultralytics/utils/export/executorch.py with reusable torch2executorch() and executorch_wrapper().
  • Export pipeline now uses this shared utility.
  • Added Pose-safe decoding patch for better XNNPACK compatibility.
  • Benchmarks no longer block Pose + ExecuTorch inference.
  • New reference docs page for ExecuTorch export.
• 📦 Dependency handling improvement for git+ requirements with version constraints (PR #23737 by @fcakyon).
  • Fixes invalid install behavior by cleaning git URL requirement strings before install.
• 📒 Notebook/API modernization (PR #23745 by @ahmet-f-gumustas).
  • Object tracking notebook updated from deprecated Annotator.seg_bbox() to modern Results.plot(color_mode="instance").
• 📚 Docs updates
  • OBB docs now point to a newer YOLO26 tutorial video (PR #23738 by @RizwanMunawar).
  • Vercel Web Analytics added to docs site template for usage insights (PR #23746 by @glenn-jocher).

🎯 Purpose & Impact

• More reliable downloads for everyone ✅
  The safe_download() fix is small but high-impact: fewer random failures when fetching models/assets from imperfect URLs.
• Better edge deployment path 📲
  ExecuTorch export is now cleaner, more maintainable, and better for Pose workflows—helpful for teams deploying YOLO26 on mobile/embedded targets.
• Fewer setup headaches 🧩
  Git-based dependency auto-update now works more as users expect, reducing installation friction in custom environments.
• Examples stay working and easier to follow 🎥
  Notebook/API updates reduce breakage from old methods and keep learning materials aligned with current Ultralytics usage.
• Docs quality can improve faster over time 📈
  Analytics and refreshed tutorials help the team prioritize what users need most.

What's Changed

• Add version constraint support for git URL requirements by @fcakyon in #23737
• Refactor ExecuTorch export to executorch.py by @lakshanthad in #23734
• Fix outdated Annotator.seg_bbox in object tracking notebook by @ahmet-f-gumustas in #23745
• Add https://youtu.be/128JhhR2DlM to docs by @RizwanMunawar in #23738
• Docs analytics by @glenn-jocher in #23746
• ultralytics 8.4.18 safe_download() URLs with spaces by @glenn-jocher in #23736

Full Changelog: v8.4.17...v8.4.18