Variational Disparity Estimation Framework for Plenoptic Image

This paper presents a computational framework for accurately estimating the disparity map of plenoptic images. The proposed framework is based on the variational principle and provides intrinsic sub-pixel precision. The light-field motion tensor introduced in the framework allows us to combine advanced robust data terms as well as provides explicit treatments for different color channels. A warping strategy is embedded in our framework for tackling the large displacement problem. We also show that by applying a simple regularization term and a guided median filtering, the accuracy of displacement field at occluded area could be greatly enhanced. We demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed framework by intensive comparisons with the Lytro software and contemporary approaches on both synthetic and real-world datasets

Insight into the role of water on the methylation of hexamethylbenzene in H‐SAPO‐34 from first principle molecular dynamics simulations

The methylation of hexamethylbenzene with methanol is one of the key reactions in the methanol-to-olefins hydrocarbon pool reaction cycle taking place over the industrially relevant H-SAPO-34 zeolite. This methylation reaction can occur either via a concerted or via a stepwise mechanism, the latter being the preferred pathway at higher temperatures. Herein, we systematically investigate how a complex reaction environment with additional water molecules and higher concentrations of Bronsted acid sites in the zeolite impacts the reaction mechanism. To this end, first principle molecular dynamics simulations are performed using enhanced sampling methods to characterize the reactants and products in the catalyst pores and to construct the free energy profiles. The most prominent effect of the dynamic sampling of the reaction path is the stabilization of the product region where water is formed, which can either move freely in the pores of the zeolite or be stabilized through hydrogen bonding with the other protic molecules. These protic molecules also stabilize the deprotonated Bronsted acid site, created due to the formation of the heptamethylbenzenium cation, via a Grotthuss-type mechanism. Our results provide fundamental insight in the experimental parameters that impact the methylation of hexamethylbenzene in H-SAPO-34, especially highlighting and rationalizing the crucial role of water in one of the main reactions of the aromatics-based reaction cycle

Convolutional Patch Networks with Spatial Prior for Road Detection and Urban Scene Understanding

Classifying single image patches is important in many different applications, such as road detection or scene understanding. In this paper, we present convolutional patch networks, which are convolutional networks learned to distinguish different image patches and which can be used for pixel-wise labeling. We also show how to incorporate spatial information of the patch as an input to the network, which allows for learning spatial priors for certain categories jointly with an appearance model. In particular, we focus on road detection and urban scene understanding, two application areas where we are able to achieve state-of-the-art results on the KITTI as well as on the LabelMeFacade dataset. Furthermore, our paper offers a guideline for people working in the area and desperately wandering through all the painstaking details that render training CNs on image patches extremely difficult.Comment: VISAPP 2015 pape

Monitor Energiewende 2017

Im Monitor 2017 wurde der Stand der Energiewende im Landkreis Konstanz aktualisiert und erweitert. Dabei lag ein Fokus zum einen auf der Frage, wie sich die ungewöhnlich hohe Bevölkerungszunahme in den Jahren 2014 und 2015 sowie die prognostizierte Bevölkerungsentwicklung bis zum Jahr 2035 auf den Energiebedarf, die erneuerbaren Energiepotenziale und die Treibhausgasemissionen des Landkreises auswirken. Zum anderen wurde untersucht, welche Stellschrauben sich eignen, um den Energiebedarf und die Treibhausgasemissionen trotz des Bevölkerungswachstums in dem angestrebten Umfang zu reduzieren

Monitor Energiewende 2016

Im Monitor 2016 steht neben der Aktualisierung der zentralen Energiedaten im Fokus, auf einer tieferen Ebene die relevanten Stellschrauben zu identifizieren, die maßgeblichen Einfluss auf die Energiestatistik haben

A Younger Dryas plateau icefield in the Monadhliath, Scotland, and implications for regional palaeoclimate

A record of Younger Dryas glaciation in Scotland is well established. However, the role of the Monadhliath, a significant plateau area extending over 840 km2 in central Scotland, has never been investigated systematically. We present the first systematic glacial geomorphological mapping across the whole region, which has led to the identification of hitherto-unrecorded glacial and associated landforms. The spatial distribution of these landforms indicates that the last phase of glaciation in the area was that of a local plateau icefield. In addition, a clear morphostratigraphical signature provides a strong indication that the icefield dates to the Younger Dryas (12.9–11.7 ka), which is supported by numerical ages in the southeast of the study area. Based on the geomorphological evidence and 2D glacier surface profile modelling, a 280 km2 icefield is reconstructed. A novel approach is introduced to quantify plateau icefield thickness for equilibrium line altitude (ELA) and palaeoprecipitation calculations, resulting in greater overall data confidence compared to traditional reconstruction methods. The ELA for the whole icefield is calculated to be 714 ± 25 m, whilst the ELAs of individual outlet glaciers range from 560 m in the west to 816 m in the east, demonstrating a significant W–E precipitation gradient across the region during the Younger Dryas. These ELAs compare well with those calculated for Younger Dryas ice masses reconstructed in neighbouring regions and are in good agreement with overall precipitation patterns suggested for Scotland during this time. Whilst the total amount of precipitation calculated from these ELAs is highly dependent on the method used, irrespective of this, the study suggests a more arid Younger Dryas climate in the region compared to the present day