Linear subspaces for illumination robust face recognition

In this paper, we present a segmented linear subspace model for face recognition that is robust under varying illumination conditions. The algorithm generalizes the 3D illumination subspace model by segmenting the image into regions that have surface normals whose directions are close to each other. This segmentation is performed using a K-means clustering algorithm and requires only a few training images under different illuminations. When the linear subspace model is applied to the segmented image, recognition is robust to attached and cast shadows, and the recognition rate is equal to that of computationally more complex systems that require constructing the 3D surface of the face.