Spherical Convolution

Spherical convolution is a technique extending convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to process data defined on the surface of a sphere, addressing the limitations of traditional CNNs in handling non-planar data. Current research focuses on improving the efficiency and accuracy of spherical CNNs, particularly within applications like diffusion MRI analysis (using architectures such as U-Nets and incorporating spherical deconvolution) and 6D object pose estimation (employing novel spherical convolution designs and incorporating graph convolutional networks). These advancements are significantly impacting fields like medical imaging (improving brain microstructure analysis) and computer vision (enhancing object recognition and pose estimation), enabling more accurate and efficient processing of spherical data.

Papers