# Real-Time Depth Refinement for Specular Objects

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1511.08886 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1511.08886/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 28 Nov 2015.

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Robust Depth Enhancement via Polarization Prompt Fusion Tuning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.04318/) (2024)
- [Refinement of Monocular Depth Maps via Multi-View Differentiable Rendering](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.03861/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The introduction of consumer RGB-D scanners set off a major boost in 3D computer vision research. Yet, the precision of existing depth scanners is not accurate enough to recover fine details of a scanned object. While modern shading based depth refinement methods have been proven to work well with Lambertian objects, they break down in the presence of specularities. We present a novel shape from shading framework that addresses this issue and enhances both diffuse and specular objects' depth profiles. We take advantage of the built-in monochromatic IR projector and IR images of the RGB-D scanners and present a lighting model that accounts for the specular regions in the input image. Using this model, we reconstruct the depth map in real-time. Both quantitative tests and visual evaluations prove that the proposed method produces state of the art depth reconstruction results.