Object removal by exemplar-based inpainting

A new algorithm is proposed for removing large objects from digital images. The challenge is to fill in the hole that is left behind in a visually plausible way. In the past, this problem has been addressed by two classes of algorithms: (i) "texture synthesis" algorithms for generating large image regions from sample textures, and (ii) "inpainting" techniques for filling in small image gaps. The former work well for "textures" - repeating two dimensional patterns with some stochasticity; the latter focus on linear "structures" which can be thought of as one dimensional patterns, such as lines and object contours. This paper presents a novel and efficient algorithm that combines the advantages of these two…