KEYWORDS: Digital watermarking, 3D modeling, Solid modeling, Visualization, Transparency, Performance modeling, Nomenclature, 3D image processing, Computer graphics, Visual process modeling
In this paper, we present the design and results of subjective tests for evaluating the perceptibility of digital watermarks in 3D polygonal models. Based on the results we investigate different types of metrics with respect to their usefulness as predictors for the perceived visual quality of models that have been modified using a specific watermarking algorithm. We describe two experiments with models that have been watermarked using controlled free form deformations. The first experiment was conducted in supervised mode with still images of rendered models as stimuli and used the Two Alternative Forced Choice (2AFC) method. The second experiment was based on animated sequences and run in 2AFC mode with additional ratings of the perceived differences, but without assistance by the experimenter. We present a transparency analysis of the results and investigate the ability of image-based and geometry-based metrics to predict the perceived quality of the watermarked models. Our results show that the effectiveness of prediction depends on the type of model and in particular on the feature positions selected by the watermarking algorithm. The results of previous experiments with simplified polygonal models are confirmed, in that geometric measures are good predictors of quality ratings. We found that the symmetric Haussdorf distance is a promising candidate to evaluate the visual impact of the watermarking algorithm used in our experiments.
We describe the requirements, design, architecture and implementation of a framework that facilitates the setup, management and realisation of data-driven performance and acceptance tests for algorithms. The framework builds on standard components, supports distributed tests on heterogeneous platforms, is scalable and requires minimum integration efforts for algorithm providers by chaining command line driven applications. We use XML as test
specification language, so tests can be set up in a declarative way without any programming effort and the test specification can easily be validated against an XML schema. We consider a test scenario where each test consists of one to many test processes and each process works on a representative set of input data that are accessible as data files. The test process is built up of operations that are executed successively in a predefined sequence. Each operation may be one of the algorithms under test or a supporting functionality (e.g. a file format conversion utility). The test definition and the test results are made persistent in a relational database. We decided to use a J2EE compliant application server as persistence engine, thus the natural choice is to implement the test client as Java application. Java is available for the most important operating systems, provides control of OS-processes, including
the input and output channels and has extensive support for XML processing.
KEYWORDS: Digital watermarking, 3D modeling, Data modeling, Computer programming, Databases, Detection and tracking algorithms, Multimedia, Image compression, Sensors, Visualization
The MPEG-4 multimedia standard addresses the scene-based composition of audiovisual objects. Natural and synthetic multimedia content can be mixed and transmitted over narrow and broadband communication channels. Synthetic natural hybrid coding (SNHC) within MPEG-4 provides tools for 3D mesh coding (3DMC).
We investigate the robustness of two different 3D watermarking algorithms for polygonal meshes with respect to 3DMC. The first algorithm is a blind detection scheme designed for labelling applications that require high bandwidth and low robustness. The second algorithm is a robust non-blind one-bit watermarking scheme intended for copyright protection applications. Both algorithms have been proposed by Benedens. We expect 3DMC to have an impact on the watermarked 3D meshes, as the algorithms used for our simulations work on vertex coordinates to encode the watermark.
We use the 3DMC implementation provided with the MPEG-4 reference software and the Princeton Shape Benchmark model database for our simulations. The watermarked models are sent through the 3DMC encoder and decoder, and the watermark decoding process is performed. For each algorithm under consideration we examine the detection properties as a function of the quantization of the vertex coordinates.
We present a high capacity reversible watermarking scheme using companding technique over integer DCT
coefficients of image blocks. This scheme takes advantage of integer DCT coefficients' Laplacian-shape-like
distribution, which permits low distortion between the watermarked image and the original one caused by the bit-shift
operations of the companding technique in the embedding process.
In our scheme, we choose AC coefficients in the integer DCT domain for the bit-shift operation, and therefore the
capacity and the quality of the watermarked image can be adjusted by selecting different numbers of coefficients of
different frequencies. To prevent overflows and underflows in the spatial domain caused by modification of the DCT
coefficients, we design a block discrimination structure to find suitable blocks that can be used for embedding without
overflow or underflow problems. We can also use this block discrimination structure to embed an overhead of location
information of all blocks suitable for embedding. With this scheme, watermark bits can be embedded in the saved LSBs
of coefficient blocks, and retrieved correctly during extraction, while the original image can be restored perfectly.
This paper presents a blind decoding watermarking scheme that takes advantage of two basic properties of the Fourier transform: The image information is transformed into frequency bands centered around the origin of the coordinate system and the image information is represented as phase and amplitude information, the latter being independent from shifts in the original image (i.e. pixel domain). These properties are exploited to embed a watermark that is inherently robust against shifts and rotation in the pixel domain and shows considerable robustness against cropping and downscaling as well. The amplitude part of the Fourier representation of the image is subdivided into sections. A pair of sections is used to embed one bit of watermark information with the bit value being represented by a predefined difference between the mean power values of the sections. The payload of the presented watermarking scheme strongly depends on the size of the image. Tests based on a light-weight implementation of the presented scheme were run with a watermark payload of 16 bits for images of 512 by 512 pixels in size.
In this paper, benchmarking results of watermarking techniques are presented. The benchmark includes evaluation of the watermark robustness and the subjective visual image quality. Four different algorithms are compared, and exhaustively tested. One goal of these tests is to evaluate the feasibility of a Common Functional Model (CFM) developed in the European Project OCTALIS and determine parameters of this model, such as the length of one watermark. This model solves the problem of image trading over an insecure network, such as Internet, and employs hybrid watermarking. Another goal is to evaluate the resistance of the watermarking techniques when subjected to a set of attacks. Results show that the tested techniques do not have the same behavior and that no tested methods has optimal characteristics. A last conclusion is that, as for the evaluation of compression techniques, clear guidelines are necessary to evaluate and compare watermarking techniques.
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