Speaker: Mark Bo Jensen
Abstract
For years, appearance modelling focused on creating visually convincing replicas, but capturing the underlying microgeometry typically required invasive or destructive techniques. With the advent of robust inverse rendering, the field has matured to a point where we can directly estimate the physical properties of complex, translucent materials in a completely non-invasive manner. Historically, our field has faced a disconnect: digital models and real-world optical measurements (the "digital shadow") existed independently of one another. By using inverse techniques to validate computed optical properties, we can now close this gap. We can iteratively adjust a digital twin until the simulated shadow it casts perfectly matches the measured physical reality. This ability to couple the model to the shadow marks a critical transition in simulation. We are no longer just building isolated replicas; we are using optical ground truth to estimate the intrinsic properties of physical objects at any given time, unlocking new potentials for predictive manufacturing and non-invasive material analysis.