A knowledge based approach to shape from shading

We study the problem of recovering the approximate three-dimensional shape of an object when knowledge about the object is available. The application of knowledge-based methods to image processing tasks will help overcome problems which arise from processing images using a pixel-based approach. We show that by applying domain specific knowledge, we can fully automate the derivation of the approximate shape of an object. Further, this approach can yield specific advantages over existing approaches, both in terms of computation and processing results. This is a powerful paradigm that will have applications in object recognition, robotic navigation, and domain specific scene understanding.