Using 2D image composition to model and evaluate soldier camouflage in the visible wavelengths

Abstract

The development and evaluation of camouflage systems is usually very time-consuming. Any evaluation that could be done using simulation prior to a field deployment would significantly shorten the development cycle. One could for example use simulation to evaluate the effectiveness of a new concept soldier camouflage pattern within a specific environment without having to print and manufacture sample uniforms. We present a 2D image composition simulator to do exactly this. If one assumes a diffuse material bidirectional reflectance distribution function then the target to be camouflaged may be used as a diffuse light probe that adequately captures the direct and diffuse scene lighting. The simulator results are visually very close to the photographs of reference uniforms. The remaining discrepancies between the simulation results and the validation references do however show that the material BRDF is not perfectly diffuse and that the point spread functions of the camera and fabric printing process still need to be taken into account.