NTIRE 2024 Image Shadow Removal Challenge Report

Abstract

This work reviews the results of the NTIRE 2024 Challenge on Shadow Removal. Building on the last year edition, the current challenge was organized in two tracks, with a track focused on increased fidelity reconstruction, and a separate ranking for high performing perceptual quality solutions. Track 1 (fidelity) had 214 registered participants, with 17 teams submitting in the final phase, while Track 2 (perceptual) registered 185 participants, resulting in 18 final phase submissions. Both tracks were based on data from the WSRD dataset, simulating interactions between self-shadows and cast shadows, with a large variety of represented objects, textures, and materials. Improved image alignment enabled increased fidelity reconstruction, with restored frames mostly indistinguishable from the references images for top performing solutions.