Learning-Based Biharmonic Augmentation for Point Cloud Classification

Point cloud datasets often suffer from inadequate sample sizes in comparison to image datasets, making data augmentation challenging. While traditional methods, like rigid transformations and scaling, have limited potential in increasing dataset diversity due to their constraints on altering individual sample shapes, we introduce the Biharmonic Augmentation (BA) method. BA is a novel and efficient data augmentation technique that diversifies point cloud data by imposing smooth non-rigid deformations on existing 3D structures. This approach calculates biharmonic coordinates for the deformation function and learns diverse deformation prototypes. Utilizing a CoefNet, our method predicts coefficients to amalgamate these prototypes, ensuring comprehensive deformation. Moreover, we present AdvTune, an advanced online augmentation system that integrates adversarial training. This system synergistically refines the CoefNet and the classification network, facilitating the automated creation of adaptive shape deformations contingent on the learner status. Comprehensive experimental analysis validates the superiority of Biharmonic Augmentation, showcasing notable performance improvements over prevailing point cloud augmentation techniques across varied network designs.