Using extended light sources for modeling object appearance under varying illumination

Abstract

In this study, we demonstrate the effectiveness of using extended light sources for modeling the appearance of an object for varying illumination. Extended light sources have a radiance distribution that is similar to that of the Gaussian function and have the potential of functioning as a low-pass filter when the appearance of an object is sampled under them. This enables us to obtain a set of basis images of an object for variable illumination from input images of the object taken under those light sources without suffering aliasing caused by insufficient sampling of its appearance. Furthermore, extended light sources are useful in terms of reducing high contrast in image intensities due to specular and diffuse reflection components. This helps us observe both specular and diffuse reflection components of an object in the same image taken with a single shutter speed. We have tested our proposed approach based on extended light sources with objects of complex appearance that are generally difficult to model using image-based modeling techniques.