16-823 Physics-based Methods in Vision (Appearance Modeling)

12 units, Carnegie Mellon University

Everyday, we observe an extraordinary array of light and color phenomena around us, ranging from the dazzling effects of the atmosphere, the complex appearances of surfaces and materials, and underwater scenarios. For a long time, artists, scientists, and photographers have been fascinated by these effects, and have focused their attention on capturing and understanding these phenomena. In this course, we take a computational approach to modeling and analyzing these phenomena, which we collectively call "visual appearance". The first half of the course focuses on the physical fundamentals of visual appearance, while the second half of the course focuses on algorithms and applications in a variety of fields such as computer vision, graphics and remote sensing and technologies such as underwater and aerial imaging.

Prerequisites: 15-462 or 16-820 or 16-720 or 16-385

Offered: Fall 2026

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