RotationNet: Learning Object Classification Using Unsupervised Viewpoint Estimation.

Abstract

The recent popularization of depth sensors and the availability of large-scale 3D model databases such as ShapeNet have drawn increased attention to 3D object recognition. Despite the convenience of using 3D models captured offline, we are allowed to observe only a single view of an object at once, with the exception of the use of special environments such as multi-camera studios. This impedes the recognition of diverse objects in a real environment. If a mechanical system (or a robot) has access to multi-view models of objects and is able to estimate the viewpoint of a currently observed object, it can rotate the object to a better view for classification. In this paper, we propose a novel method to learn a deep convolutional neural network that both classifies an object and estimates the rotation path to its best view under the predicted object category. We conduct experiments on a 3D model database as well as a real image dataset to demonstrate that our system can achieve an effective strategy of object rotation for category classification.