Reflectance Distribution Function

The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) describes how light interacts with a surface, crucial for realistic rendering in computer graphics and accurate analysis of remote sensing data. Current research focuses on efficient BRDF measurement and representation, employing techniques like neural networks to learn BRDF models from images or textual descriptions, and developing algorithms to optimize sampling strategies and reduce data acquisition time. These advancements improve the accuracy and speed of BRDF estimation across diverse applications, ranging from satellite image analysis to creating realistic 3D environments for virtual and augmented reality.