Material Classification with a 7th Sense; Boosting Recognition Ability with Thermal Imagery

Abstract

Material recognition using optical sensors is a key enabler technology in the field of automation. Nowadays, in the age of deep learning, the challenge shifted from (manual) feature engineering to collecting big data. State of the art recognition approaches are based on deep neural networks employing huge databases. But still, it is difficult to transfer these latest recognition results into the wild – various lighting conditions, a changing image quality, or different and new material classes are challenging complications. Evaluating a larger electromagnetic spectrum is one way to solve these challenges. In this study, the infrared (IR) emissivity as a materialspecific property is investigated regarding its suitability for increasing the material classification reliability. Predictions of a deep learning model are combined with engineered features from IR data. This approach increases the overall accuracy and helps to differentiate between materials that visually appear similar. The solution is verified using real data from the field of automatized disinfection processes.