A Neural Network for Interpolating Light-Sources

This study combines two novel deterministic methods with a Convolutional Neural Network to develop a machine learning method that is aware of directionality of light in images. The first method detects shadows in terrestrial images by using a sliding-window algorithm that extracts specific hue and value features in an image. The second method interpolates light-sources by utilising a line-algorithm, which detects the direction of light sources in the image. Both of these methods are single-image solutions and employ deterministic methods to calculate the values from the image alone, without the need for illumination-models. They extract real-time geometry from the light source in an image, rather than mapping an illumination-model onto the image, which are the only models used today. Finally, those outputs are used to train a Convolutional Neural Network. This displays greater accuracy than previous methods for shadow detection and can predict light source-direction and thus orientation accurately, which is a considerable innovation for an unsupervised CNN. It is significantly faster than the deterministic methods. We also present a reference dataset for the problem of shadow and light direction detection.