# CoA: Towards Real Image Dehazing via Compression-and-Adaptation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.05590 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.05590/

## Key facts

- Cited by 6 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 24 of its 48 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 8 Apr 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 24 of 24)

- [Benchmarking Single Image Dehazing and Beyond](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1712.04143/) (2017)
- [Bilevel Programming for Hyperparameter Optimization and Meta-Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1806.04910/) (2018)
- [Vision Transformers for Single Image Dehazing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.03883/) (2022)
- [Multi-Scale Boosted Dehazing Network with Dense Feature Fusion](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2004.13388/) (2020)
- [Restoring Vision in Adverse Weather Conditions with Patch-Based Denoising Diffusion Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.14626/) (2022)
- [Investigating Bi-Level Optimization for Learning and Vision from a Unified Perspective: A Survey and Beyond](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.11517/) (2021)
- [Densely Connected Pyramid Dehazing Network](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1803.08396/) (2018)
- [DEA-Net: Single image dehazing based on detail-enhanced convolution and content-guided attention](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.04805/) (2023)
- [Curricular Contrastive Regularization for Physics-aware Single Image Dehazing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.14218/) (2023)
- [Exponential Moving Average Normalization for Self-supervised and Semi-supervised Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.08482/) (2021)
- [RIDCP: Revitalizing Real Image Dehazing via High-Quality Codebook Priors](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.03994/) (2023)
- [Selective Hourglass Mapping for Universal Image Restoration Based on Diffusion Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.11157/) (2024)
- [Contrastive Semi-supervised Learning for Underwater Image Restoration via Reliable Bank](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.09101/) (2023)
- [From Synthetic to Real: Image Dehazing Collaborating with Unlabeled Real Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.02934/) (2021)
- [Nighttime Dehazing with a Synthetic Benchmark](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2008.03864/) (2020)
- [Enhancing Visibility in Nighttime Haze Images Using Guided APSF and Gradient Adaptive Convolution](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.01738/) (2023)
- [DW-GAN: A Discrete Wavelet Transform GAN for NonHomogeneous Dehazing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.08911/) (2021)
- [Underwater Image Enhancement by Transformer-based Diffusion Model with Non-uniform Sampling for Skip Strategy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.03445/) (2023)
- [Depth Information Assisted Collaborative Mutual Promotion Network for Single Image Dehazing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.01105/) (2024)
- [Unsupervised Single Image Dehazing Using Dark Channel Prior Loss](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1812.07051/) (2018)
- [Learning a No-Reference Quality Assessment Model of Enhanced Images With Big Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.08632/) (2019)
- [ODCR: Orthogonal Decoupling Contrastive Regularization for Unpaired Image Dehazing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.17825/) (2024)
- [Synergistic Multiscale Detail Refinement via Intrinsic Supervision for Underwater Image Enhancement](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.11932/) (2023)
- [Illumination Controllable Dehazing Network based on Unsupervised Retinex Embedding](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.05675/) (2023)

## Built on by (most cited first, 6 of 6)

- [Bilevel Layer-Positioning LoRA for Real Image Dehazing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.10872/) (2026)
- [PRISM: Rethinking Atmospheric Scattering Reconstruction as a Unified Understanding and Restoration Model for Real-world Dehazing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.07048/) (2026)
- [Benchmarking Endoscopic Surgical Image Restoration and Beyond](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.19161/) (2025)
- [Real-World Scene Recovery for Scattering-Degraded Images Using Spatial and Frequency Priors](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.08254/) (2025)
- [Physically-Guided Optical Inversion Enable Non-Contact Side-Channel Attack on Isolated Screens](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.13419/) (2026)
- [Efficient Real-World Dehazing via Physics-Inspired Global-Local Decoupling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.25732/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Learning-based image dehazing algorithms have shown remarkable success in synthetic domains. However, real image dehazing is still in suspense due to computational resource constraints and the diversity of real-world scenes. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an algorithm that excels in both efficiency and adaptability to address real image dehazing effectively. This work proposes a Compression-and-Adaptation (CoA) computational flow to tackle these challenges from a divide-and-conquer perspective. First, model compression is performed in the synthetic domain to develop a compact dehazing parameter space, satisfying efficiency demands. Then, a bilevel adaptation in the real domain is introduced to be fearless in unknown real environments by aggregating the synthetic dehazing capabilities during the learning process. Leveraging a succinct design free from additional constraints, our CoA exhibits domain-irrelevant stability and model-agnostic flexibility, effectively bridging the model chasm between synthetic and real domains to further improve its practical utility. Extensive evaluations and analyses underscore the approach's superiority and effectiveness. The code is publicly available at https://github.com/fyxnl/COA.