This paper considers the long-standing problem of extracting alpha mattes from video using a known background. While various color-based or polarization-based approaches have been studied in past decades, the problem remains ill-posed because the solutions solely rely on either color or polarization. We introduce Polarized Color Screen Matting, a single-shot, per-pixel matting theory for alpha matte and foreground color recovery using both color and polarization cues. Through a theoretical analysis of our diffuse-specular polarimetric compositing equation, we derive practical closed-form matting methods with their solvability conditions. Our theory concludes that an alpha matte can be extracted without manual corrections using off-the-shelf equipment such as an LCD monitor, polarization camera, and unpolarized lights with calibrated color. Experiments on synthetic and real-world datasets verify the validity of our theory and show the capability of our matting methods on real videos with quantitative and qualitative comparisons to color-based and polarization-based matting methods.

Recent advances in smart materials have enabled displays to move beyond planar surfaces into the fabric of everyday life. We propose reflective light-diffuser modules for non-emissive flexible display systems. Our system leverages reflective-backed polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), an electroactive material commonly used in smart window applications. This low-power non-emissive material can be cut to any shape, and dynamically diffuses light. We present the design & fabrication of two exemplar artifacts, a canvas and a handbag, that use the reflective light-diffuser modules. We also describe our content authoring pipeline and interaction modalities. We hope this work inspires future designers of flexible displays.