ECCV 2024

🌍 ECCV 2024 - My Experience in Milan

The European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV) is one of the most prestigious events in the field of computer vision, held annually in Europe. This year, it was hosted in the charming city of Milan, Italy 🇮🇹, and I had the incredible opportunity to be part of it!

In this blog, I’ll be sharing my experiences at ECCV 2024, and of course, showcasing beautiful moments captured in Italy. 📸

🎉 ECCV Conference Insights

🖥️ Virtual Try-On Workshop

📄 Published Paper on DIVA
At ECCV 2024, I had the honor of presenting my paper, DIVA: Deep Indic Virtual Apparel Try-On, a project that holds deep personal and professional significance. As the world of virtual try-ons continues to evolve, the focus of our work was to tackle a niche yet crucial problem: virtual try-ons for Indic clothing.

The journey began with recognizing a gap in existing virtual try-on systems — most were not designed to handle the diversity and cultural richness of Indian garments. From the graceful sarees to the elaborate lehengas, these garments have unique shapes, drapes, and fabrics that present significant challenges for virtual modeling.

To solve this, we introduced the IndicViton Dataset: a carefully curated collection of high-resolution images (720 × 540) that showcase a variety of Indian apparel in multiple poses and orientations. This dataset plays a critical role in training models that can capture the nuances of these garments.

The heart of our work lies in the DIVA model — a diffusion-based framework that handles the complexities of multi-pose garment images with remarkable visual accuracy. With DIVA, we could ensure that the virtual try-ons not only look realistic but also retain the cultural authenticity of the attire.

At the heart of the paper is a recognition that the world of virtual try-ons must evolve to better reflect the cultural and regional diversity of clothing across the globe. By focusing on Indian fashion, our work hopes to make virtual clothing experiences more inclusive and accurate, catering to the unique needs of the Indian market and beyond.

Key Highlights:

• IndicViton Dataset: A high-resolution (720 × 540) dataset featuring garments in multiple poses and orientations, helping achieve better results in virtual try-ons.
• Diffusion-Based Model (DIVA): A cutting-edge model that handles multi-pose garment images with high visual fidelity, ensuring accurate virtual try-on outcomes.
• Culturally Specific Focus: Tailored to the diverse Indian apparel, including dhoti, sarees, kurtas, lehengas, and more. Usage of scribble maps as priors to achieve this.

Publication
The research was presented at ECCV 2024.
👉 Access the paper here

🤝 Networking with Industry Peers

I had the opportunity to connect with professionals from Amazon and TCS, who are working on virtual try-on solutions for the Indian market. We exchanged ideas, discussed challenges, and explored the growing potential in the virtual try-on space.

🌏 Global Insights

I also interacted with researchers from Korea and China, learning about their innovative methods in virtual try-ons. It was incredible to get a glimpse of their approaches and gain insights into global advancements in this exciting field.

📸 ECCV Photos

Check out some of my favorite moments from ECCV 2024 below!

Insights on Academic and Research Success

1. Focus on Quality over Quantity
   Aim to write impactful, high-quality papers, following the example of researchers like Kaiming He, rather than producing a high volume of low-impact work.

2. Future-Forward Problem Statements
   Select research problems that are ahead of their time, focusing on areas that the industry is unlikely to tackle in the next 5 years. This ensures your work remains relevant and groundbreaking.

3. Iterative Adaptation in Research
   Approach research topics like developing a taste for coffee—initially challenging, but over time, you’ll adapt to a particular flavor or niche that resonates with you.

4. Deep Expertise in a Single Area
   Develop deep expertise in one domain rather than spreading efforts thinly across multiple topics. Specialization often yields greater recognition and deeper contributions.

5. Fundamental Innovations Over Trends
   Focus on addressing fundamental challenges rather than following hyped topics. Unique, foundational contributions often yield long-term impact and recognition.

6. Admission Processes
   Understand that professors may not have complete autonomy in selecting students; initial screenings and decisions are often made at the university level based on set criteria.

7. Conferences as Networking Hubs
   Attending conferences like ECCV not only helps in sharing your work but also offers opportunities to network with leading researchers, identify trending topics, and gather feedback to refine your research direction.

8. Industry-Academia Divide
   Recognize that academia allows freedom to explore novel, uncharted problems, while industry research may focus on immediate applications and profitability. Use this distinction to define your academic contributions.

9. Patience in Research Journey
   Breakthroughs often take time. Commit to your research journey with patience, persistence, and adaptability, as impactful results may not come immediately.

What to Do at a Conference

1. Prepare by Reviewing Papers
   Prior to attending, obtain the list of presented papers and review their work in advance. This preparation helps you identify specific researchers or sessions of interest, allowing you to ask insightful questions in person. Avoid going in unprepared, as the abundance of information can be overwhelming and lead to quick saturation. Expect a block of papers related to 3D, 2D, diffusion models, federated learning, etc.

2. Build a Strong Network
   Make as many connections as possible! Take photos of attendee ID cards to remember individuals and later connect with them. Engage in conversations to learn more about their research and foster potential collaborations. I had a chance to talk with academic cousins, professors, and their students.

3. Attend Workshops Strategically
   Workshops often provide a condensed overview of state-of-the-art techniques and ideas within an hour. Attending these sessions allows you to absorb key advancements efficiently. Since I am more of a 2D vision guy, I would be interested in 3D vision and solving 3D problems in 2D.

4. Participate in Poster Sessions
   Poster sessions are excellent for one-on-one interactions with researchers. Use this opportunity to delve deeper into their work, discuss methodologies, and explore potential applications of their research.

5. Engage in Q&A Sessions
   Ask questions during presentations to clarify concepts, challenge ideas, or spark discussions. This not only helps you understand the work better but also establishes you as an engaged participant.

6. Take Detailed Notes
   Keep a notebook or digital device handy to jot down key takeaways, interesting ideas, or potential future research directions. Notes will help you revisit and reflect on what you’ve learned after the conference.

7. Exchange Ideas
   Share your work with peers to get feedback and suggestions. Conversations about your research can lead to new insights or even collaborations.

8. Follow Up Post-Conference
   After the conference, reach out to the people you met. This follow-up helps solidify connections and keeps the conversation alive for potential collaborations or mentorship. This is where I make most of my connections—the last day is just for that! Say hello to as many people as you can.

9. Explore Industry Stalls
   If the conference includes industry exhibits, visit booths to learn about the latest tools, datasets, or collaborations that could enhance your research. You can also ask people about referrals or problems they are trying to solve.

10. Plan Breaks and Downtime
    Conferences can be intense, so schedule short breaks to rest and process information. Use this time to review notes, organize contacts, or prepare for upcoming sessions.

11. Attend Keynotes and Plenaries
    Keynote speeches often provide a broad perspective on current trends and future directions in the field. Make it a priority to attend these sessions.

🌍 Visiting Nearby Places