Inferring Hybrid Neural Fluid Fields from Videos
(2312.06561)Abstract
We study recovering fluid density and velocity from sparse multiview videos. Existing neural dynamic reconstruction methods predominantly rely on optical flows; therefore, they cannot accurately estimate the density and uncover the underlying velocity due to the inherent visual ambiguities of fluid velocity, as fluids are often shapeless and lack stable visual features. The challenge is further pronounced by the turbulent nature of fluid flows, which calls for properly designed fluid velocity representations. To address these challenges, we propose hybrid neural fluid fields (HyFluid), a neural approach to jointly infer fluid density and velocity fields. Specifically, to deal with visual ambiguities of fluid velocity, we introduce a set of physics-based losses that enforce inferring a physically plausible velocity field, which is divergence-free and drives the transport of density. To deal with the turbulent nature of fluid velocity, we design a hybrid neural velocity representation that includes a base neural velocity field that captures most irrotational energy and a vortex particle-based velocity that models residual turbulent velocity. We show that our method enables recovering vortical flow details. Our approach opens up possibilities for various learning and reconstruction applications centered around 3D incompressible flow, including fluid re-simulation and editing, future prediction, and neural dynamic scene composition. Project website: https://kovenyu.com/HyFluid/
Overview
-
HyFluid is a neural approach that interprets the velocity and density fields of fluids from sparse multiview videos, utilizing visual and physical data.
-
The method addresses the visual ambiguity of fluid motion by employing physics-based losses according to Navier-Stokes equations for divergence-free velocity fields.
-
HyFluid uses a hybrid velocity representation, combining a neural base velocity field with a vortex particle model to capture a wide range of fluid motion and turbulence.
-
The approach has several applications, including re-simulation and editing of fluid dynamics, future fluid movement predictions, and integration into dynamic neural scenes.
-
HyFluid has been shown to outperform existing methods, providing high-fidelity reconstructions of fluid density and velocity while retaining complex dynamics.
Understanding Hybrid Neural Fluid Dynamics
Deciphering Fluid Properties from Video
Fluids are omnipresent in nature, yet their dynamic nature poses significant challenges in capturing and understanding their density and velocity fields. Conventional approaches predominantly utilize optical flows but fail to yield accurate results due to the indistinct visual traits of fluids. Addressing these issues, a unique neural approach called hybrid neural fluid fields (HyFluid) has been introduced. HyFluid infers the velocity and density fields of fluids by leveraging visual and physical data from sparse multiview videos.
Tackling the Ambiguity of Fluid Motion
One of the key challenges in interpreting fluid dynamics from video is the intrinsic visual ambiguity. Fluids lack solid color and distinct features that aid tracking, especially in regions where the flow is smooth and the appearance changes minimally. To overcome this, HyFluid employs physics-based losses, stemming from the principles of fluid dynamics captured by Navier-Stokes equations, which enable the modeling of physically plausible, divergence-free velocity fields that interact with the fluid density fields.
Innovations in Velocity Representation
HyFluid introduces a hybrid approach to represent fluid velocity. Blending a neural base velocity field with a vortex particle model, the system breaks down the velocity into two components:
- The base velocity field manages most of the irrotational energy, capturing the larger flow motions.
- The residual vorticity-driven velocity handles the finer, turbulent flow details that are challenging to depict using standard neural representations.
These components work in conjunction, allowing HyFluid to capture a wide range of fluid motion with varying degrees of turbulence.
Practical Applications and Findings
This innovative approach to understanding fluid fields has profound implications across several domains, such as:
- Enabling the re-simulation and editing of fluid dynamics.
- Promising future predictions of fluid movements.
- Integrating inferred fluid dynamics into dynamic neural scenes.
HyFluid demonstrates the ability to provide high-fidelity reconstructions of fluid density and velocity, surpassing existing methods while upholding the unique turbulent features and complex dynamics of the fluid.
Bridging the Gap in Fluid Dynamics Inference
In conclusion, HyFluid serves to bridge the gap between neural dynamic reconstruction methods and the intricacies of fluid dynamics inference. It presents a comprehensive solution by incorporating physical constraints, a detailed representation of turbulent velocities, and the utilization of visual cues from complex multiview video data to recover accurate and richly detailed fluid fields.
Create an account to read this summary for free: