Multi-view stereo beyond Lambert

We consider the problem of estimating the shape and radiance of an object from a calibrated set of views under the assumption that the reflectance of the object is non-Lambertian. Unlike traditional stereo, we do not solve the correspondence problem by comparing image-to-image. Instead, we exploit a rank constraint on the radiance tensor field of the surface in space, and use it to define a discrepancy measure between each image and the underlying model. Our approach automatically returns an estimate of the radiance of the scene, along with its shape, represented by a dense surface. The former can be used to generate novel views that capture the non-Lambertian appearance of the scene.