Evaluation of features detectors and descriptors based on 3D objects

We explore the performance of a number of popular feature detectors and descriptors in matching 3D object features across viewpoints and lighting conditions. To this end we design a method, based on intersecting epipolar constraints, for providing ground truth correspondence automatically. We collect a database of 100 objects viewed from 144 calibrated viewpoints under three different lighting conditions. We find that the combination of Hessian-affine feature finder and SIFT features is most robust to viewpoint change. Harris-affine combined with SIFT and Hessian-affine combined with shape context descriptors were best respectively for lighting changes and scale changes. We also find that no detector-descriptor combination performs well with viewpoint changes of more than 25-30°.