# NTIRE 2026 Challenge on Single Image Reflection Removal in the Wild: Datasets, Results, and Methods

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.10321 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.10321/

## Key facts

- Cited by 15 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 4 of its 89 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 11 Apr 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Score-Based Generative Modeling through Stochastic Differential Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2011.13456/) (2020)
- [Score-based Self-supervised MRI Denoising](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.05631/) (2025)
- [Reflection Removal through Efficient Adaptation of Diffusion Transformers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.05000/) (2025)
- [Rectifying Latent Space for Generative Single-Image Reflection Removal](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.06358/) (2025)

## Built on by (most cited first, 15 of 15)

- [NTIRE 2026 Challenge on Robust AI-Generated Image Detection in the Wild](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.11487/) (2026)
- [NTIRE 2026 The Second Challenge on Day and Night Raindrop Removal for Dual-Focused Images: Methods and Results](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.10634/) (2026)
- [The Second Challenge on Real-World Face Restoration at NTIRE 2026: Methods and Results](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.10532/) (2026)
- [NTIRE 2026 The 3rd Restore Any Image Model (RAIM) Challenge: AI Flash Portrait (Track 3)](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.11230/) (2026)
- [NTIRE 2026 The 3rd Restore Any Image Model (RAIM) Challenge: Professional Image Quality Assessment (Track 1)](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.12512/) (2026)
- [The Fourth Challenge on Image Super-Resolution (×4) at NTIRE 2026: Benchmark Results and Method Overview](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.14558/) (2026)
- [NTIRE 2026 Challenge on Video Saliency Prediction: Methods and Results](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.14816/) (2026)
- [NTIRE 2026 Rip Current Detection and Segmentation (RipDetSeg) Challenge Report](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.17070/) (2026)
- [Low Light Image Enhancement Challenge at NTIRE 2026](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.17669/) (2026)
- [The First Challenge on Remote Sensing Infrared Image Super-Resolution at NTIRE 2026: Benchmark Results and Method Overview](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.21312/) (2026)
- [Robust Deepfake Detection, NTIRE 2026 Challenge: Report](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.24163/) (2026)
- [The First Controllable Bokeh Rendering Challenge at NTIRE 2026](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.05510/) (2026)
- [The Third Challenge on Image Denoising at NTIRE 2026: Methods and Results](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.16031/) (2026)
- [NTIRE 2026 Challenge on Efficient Low Light Image Enhancement: Methods and Results](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.02212/) (2026)
- [NTIRE 2026 Low-light Enhancement: Twilight Cowboy Challenge](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.09782/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In this paper, we review the NTIRE 2026 challenge on single-image reflection removal (SIRR) in the wild. SIRR is a fundamental task in image restoration. Despite progress in academic research, most methods are tested on synthetic images or limited real-world images, creating a gap in real-world applications. In this challenge, we provide participants with the OpenRR-5k dataset. This dataset requires participants to process real-world images covering a range of reflection scenarios and intensities, aiming to generate clean images without reflections. The challenge attracted more than 100 registrations, with eleven of them participating in the final testing phase. The top-ranked methods advanced the state-of-the-art reflection removal performance and earned unanimous recognition from five experts in the field. The proposed OpenRR-5k dataset is available at https://huggingface.co/datasets/qiuzhangTiTi/OpenRR-5k, and the homepage of this challenge is at https://github.com/caijie0620/OpenRR-5k.