This paper proposes an algorithm for recovering the colors of objects from multiple near-infrared (near-IR) images. The International Commission on Illumination (CIE) color coordinates of objects are recovered from a series of gray images captured under multiple spectral near-IR illuminations using polynomial regression. The feasibility of the proposed algorithm is tested experimentally by using 24 color patches of the Color Rendition Chart. The experimental apparatus is composed of a monochrome digital camera without an IR cut-off filter and a custom-designed LED illuminator emitting multiple spectral near-IR illuminations, with peak wavelengths near the red edge of the visible band, namely at 700, 740, 780, and 860 nm. The average color difference between the original and the recovered colors for all 24 patches was found to be 11.1. However, if some particular patches with high value are disregarded, the average color difference is reduced to 4.2, and this value is within the acceptability tolerance for complex image on the display.

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