Abstract. Polarization is a phenomenon that cannot be observed by the human eye, but it provides rich information regarding scenes. The proposed method estimates the surface normal of black specular objects through polarization analysis of reflected light. A unique surface normal cannot be determined from a polarization image observed from a single viewpoint; thus, we observe the object from multiple viewpoints. To analyze the polarization state of the reflected light at the corresponding points when observed from multiple viewpoints, the abstract shape is predetermined using a space carving technique. Unlike a conventional photometric stereo or multiview stereo, which cannot estimate the shape of a black specular object, the proposed method estimates the surface normal and three-dimensional coordinates of black specular objects via polarization analysis and space carving.

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