Learning Thin-Plate Spline Motion and Seamless Composition for Parallax-Tolerant Unsupervised Deep Image Stitching

Traditional image stitching approaches tend to leverage increasingly complex geometric features (point, line, edge, etc.) for better performance. However, these hand-crafted features are only suitable for specific natural scenes with adequate geometric structures. In contrast, deep stitching schemes overcome the adverse conditions by adaptively learning robust semantic features, but they cannot handle large-parallax cases due to homography-based registration. To solve these issues, we propose UDIS++, a parallax-tolerant unsupervised deep image stitching technique. First, we propose a robust and flexible warp to model the image registration from global homography to local thin-plate spline motion. It provides accurate alignment for overlapping regions and shape preservation for non-overlapping regions by joint optimization concerning alignment and distortion. Subsequently, to improve the generalization capability, we design a simple but effective iterative strategy to enhance the warp adaption in cross-dataset and cross-resolution applications. Finally, to further eliminate the parallax artifacts, we propose to composite the stitched image seamlessly by unsupervised learning for seam-driven composition masks. Compared with existing methods, our solution is parallax-tolerant and free from laborious designs of complicated geometric features for specific scenes. Extensive experiments show our superiority over the SoTA methods, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The code will be available at https://github.com/nie-lang/UDIS2

Implicit Neural Image Stitching With Enhanced and Blended Feature Reconstruction

Existing frameworks for image stitching often provide visually reasonable stitchings. However, they suffer from blurry artifacts and disparities in illumination, depth level, etc. Although the recent learning-based stitchings relax such disparities, the required methods impose sacrifice of image qualities failing to capture high-frequency details for stitched images. To address the problem, we propose a novel approach, implicit Neural Image Stitching (NIS) that extends arbitrary-scale super-resolution. Our method estimates Fourier coefficients of images for quality-enhancing warps. Then, the suggested model blends color mismatches and misalignment in the latent space and decodes the features into RGB values of stitched images. Our experiments show that our approach achieves improvement in resolving the low-definition imaging of the previous deep image stitching with favorable accelerated image-enhancing methods. Our source code is available at https://github.com/minshu-kim/NIS

Comparing of radial and tangencial geometric for cylindric panorama

Cameras generally have a field of view only large enough to capture a portion of their surroundings. The goal of immersion is to replace many of your senses with virtual ones, so that the virtual environment will feel as real as possible. Panoramic cameras are used to capture the entire 360°view, also known as panoramic images.Virtual reality makes use of these panoramic images to provide a more immersive experience compared to seeing images on a 2D screen. This thesis, which is in the field of Computer vision, focuses on establishing a multi-camera geometry to generate a cylindrical panorama image and successfully implementing it with the cheapest cameras possible. The specific goal of this project is to propose the cameras geometry which will decrease artifact problems related to parallax in the panorama image. We present a new approach of cylindrical panoramic images from multiple cameras which its setup has cameras placed evenly around a circle. Instead of looking outward, which is the traditional ”radial” configuration, we propose to make the optical axes tangent to the camera circle, a ”tangential” configuration. Beside an analysis and comparison of radial and tangential geometries, we provide an experimental setup with real panoramas obtained in realistic conditionsLes caméras ont généralement un champ de vision à peine assez grand pour capturer partie de leur environnement. L’objectif de l’immersion est de remplacer virtuellement un grand nombre de sens, de sorte que l’environnement virtuel soit perçu comme le plus réel possible. Une caméra panoramique est utilisée pour capturer l’ensemble d’une vue 360°, également connue sous le nom d’image panoramique. La réalité virtuelle fait usage de ces images panoramiques pour fournir une expérience plus immersive par rapport aux images sur un écran 2D. Cette thèse, qui est dans le domaine de la vision par ordinateur, s’intéresse à la création d’une géométrie multi-caméras pour générer une image cylindrique panoramique et vise une mise en œuvre avec les caméras moins chères possibles. L’objectif spécifique de ce projet est de proposer une géométrie de caméra qui va diminuer au maximum les problèmes d’artefacts liés au parallaxe présent dans l’image panoramique. Nous présentons une nouvelle approche de capture des images panoramiques cylindriques à partir de plusieurs caméras disposées uniformément autour d’un cercle. Au lieu de regarder vers l’extérieur, ce qui est la configuration traditionnelle ”radiale”, nous proposons de rendre les axes optiques tangents au cercle des caméras, une configuration ”tangentielle”. Outre une analyse et la comparaison des géométries radiales et tangentielles, nous fournissons un montage expérimental avec de vrais panoramas obtenus dans des conditions réaliste

DTI Economics Paper No. 2: A comparative study of the British and Italian Textile and Clothing Industries.

Commissioned by: Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry Conference, Hucknell, Nottingham, February 2004 During the 1990s the Italian clothing and textiles industry grew while the British, French and German textile and clothing industries declined by 40%. In 2001 the Italian textiles & clothing sector was three times larger than the British, accounting for 11.7% of Italian manufacturing output but only 3.3% in Britain. In 2000 Italian fabric exports were 15 times that of the UK. The study was conducted in response to a recommendation by the Textiles and Clothing Strategy Group (TCSG), comprising UK industry, trade unions, Higher Education and the DTI. The purpose of the study was to account for these differences, assess relative merits against value for money and identify best practice in the Italian industry. The methodology comprised comparative analysis and case studies of British and Italian textile mills and tailoring manufacturers, based on my initial recommendations. We visited 5 textile mills in Yorkshire and 15 in Italy plus 3 factories in each country. I conducted a detailed comparative technical analysis of the construction of suit jackets against 13 devised criteria, a number of interviews,compared technologies, equipment and manufacturing methods across all factories, against 8 criteria, drawing on my specialist knowledge and experience as a menswear clothing technologist. The technical reports I compiled formed a section of the final report. Findings were presented to the Clothing Strategy Group and published by the DTI as their Economic Paper No 2 . I made further presentations to industry and academic groups including ASBCI, FCDE, The Textile Society, Savile Row Tailors Association, and LSE. Other outcomes were a publication in the Journal of the Textile Society Text, an article in Selvedge magazine and contributions to the Encyclopaedia of Clothing by Thomson Gale. As a result of this research further consultancy projects have been conducted with the Industry Forum and ASBCI

Grading zero waste design using digital and virtual methods

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior DesignSherry J. HaarTraditional practices of pattern cutting within the apparel industry result in a considerable portion of fabric waste that negatively impacts the environment. Currently, garment manufacturers make responding to fashion trends, at the lowest possible cost, the main priority, regardless of fabric waste, to ensure economic profit. Besides, one of the sustainable challenges when working with zero waste design (ZWD) is the feasibility of pattern grading under the current apparel production system. Thus, the purpose of this experimental study was to explore the feasibility of grading zero waste garments for industry production using digital and virtual methods. The main research questions in this study were: What pattern piece adjustments and marker layouts achieve both 100% marker efficiency and accurate virtual visual appearance? Can digital 3D simulation be used as an effective and sustainable sizing and fit assessment tool? Does attachment and appreciation of ZWD influence expert judges’ evaluation of visual accuracy? The first research question was answered through a functional design process that included three phases: sample development, grading and marker making, digital and virtual testing of marker adjustments, and marker refinement. The application of typical and novel marker making and design tactics for functional utilization of the cuts offs resulting in no fabric waste of the mixed marker of the graded sizes was explored. As a result, a system of four different adjustment methods were applied to reach 100% marker efficiency while maintaining visual accuracy. Multiple challenges regarding the use of 3D simulation to create virtual samples were encountered. To answer the second and third research questions, an online questionnaire was utilized to collect assessment related to the efficiency of the graded virtual samples compared to the physical based on particular design criteria. Two judge groups participated in this study, zero waste design academic researchers and industry technical designers. The judges compared the samples via video, between and across groups. The findings indicated that the use of 3D simulation was mostly challenging for grading ZWD while maintaining 100% marker efficiency and visual accuracy. Judges suggested that the 3D simulation would be a useful, sustainable tool for fit and appearance assessment to decrease the number of physical samples; however, major improvements for the software were recommended before the physical sample could be eliminated. These findings contribute to understanding the effectiveness of sizing zero waste design and use of 3D virtual simulation as an assessment method, which promotes sustainable development through pattern making within the production methods in the apparel industry. Technical judges had more agreement than ZWD judges regarding the similarity between virtual and physical samples, and the sufficiency of information provision by virtual samples that would replace physical samples. Thus, ZWD judges had higher expectations for virtual technology. This finding indicated a relationship between attachment and appreciation of sustainability in fashion with the adoption of advanced practices to develop sustainable fashion design through the functional design process

Comparison of the fit of dresses constructed by the traditional method from basic fitting patterns and dresses constructed from computerized patterns

The purposes of this study were (a) to explore and compare two methods for obtaining individualized fit in patterns which might be used as individualized slopers for flat pattern design courses and (b) to assess whether a better fit could be achieved with the use of a computerized pattern rather than a basic fitting pattern adjusted to individual measurements. The latter is designated as the traditional method for obtaining an individualized sloper. Data were obtained from a comparison of the fit of garments made from the two types of patterns. Students assigned to two sections of the Dress Design and Construction I course offered during the spring semester, 1974, at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro participated in the study