v8.3.15 - `ultralytics 8.3.15` new TPU device-selection ability (#16576)

🌟 Summary

The v8.3.15 release of Ultralytics introduces enhanced support for selecting TPU devices, improved code readability, and refines several workflows and documentation aspects.

📊 Key Changes

• TPU Device Selection: Added functionality to choose specific TPU devices when multiple are available, essential for managing resources across multiple containers.
• Code Refactoring: Improved code clarity and maintainability in autobackend.py.
• Version Management: Simplified PyPI version checking logic for more efficient publishing workflows.
• Documentation Updates:
  • Expanded CI tables to include more repositories and added clarity to link formatting.
  • Corrected documentation URLs and clarified usage instructions for TPU models.

🎯 Purpose & Impact

• Enhanced Flexibility: Users can now run applications on specific TPUs, preventing conflicts and optimizing resource allocation — especially useful for complex, multi-container setups. ⚙️
• Code Maintenance: The refactoring improves readability and ease of future maintenance, which is beneficial for all developers engaging with the project. 🛠️
• Streamlined Release Process: By minimizing the complexity of the version management script, the stability and efficiency of release cycles are improved, reducing the potential for human error. 🚀
• Improved User Guidance: More intuitive and accurate documentation means users will experience fewer issues and a better understanding of product capabilities. 📚

This release makes using multiple TPU resources smoother and improves the overall quality and maintainability of the project infrastructure.

What's Changed

• Update publish.yml by @glenn-jocher in #16967
• Expand Docs CI table with mkdocs, thop, actions, handbook by @glenn-jocher in #16970
• Fix broken Tencent AI link by @glenn-jocher in #16971
• Remove onnxslim==0.1.34 pin by @glenn-jocher in #16974
• Update utralytics/solutions docstrings to match new YOLO11 by @jk4e in #16975
• Fix display of links in yolov5 docs by @jk4e in #16973
• Fix Triton inference without explicit metadata by @zeograd in #16938
• ultralytics 8.3.15 new TPU device-selection ability by @lalayants in #16576

New Contributors

• @lalayants made their first contribution in #16576
• @zeograd made their first contribution in #16938

Full Changelog: v8.3.14...v8.3.15