Surface identification using the dichromatic reflection model

The author describes a method based on the dichromatic reflection model for identifying object surfaces. The surface spectral reflectance function of an inhomogeneous object is described as the sum of a constant interface (specular) reflectance and a body (diffuse) reflectance under all illumination geometries. The interface component is used to estimate the spectral power distribution of the illuminant without using a reference white standard, whereas the body component is used as the principal indication of the surface identity. The body reflectance function of each surface is recovered. A method to classify the observed reflectances is developed, and an algorithm to estimate a body reflectance function, unique to each surface, from the classified reflectances is proposed. The author shows the reliability of the surface classification method and the accuracy of estimated body reflectance function