'Mtindo' is a style transfer application for the desktop that offers non-technical people a unique opportunity to experience machine learning in action that explores some of the practical potentials of style transfer, beyond the game-like applications that are currently available. 'Mtindo' means style in Swahili<br /><br /><br />
I've often wondered what a self-portrait drawn by Van Gogh in the style of Picasso might look like and how I'd feel about it. Obviously, this never happened because Van Gogh died in 1890 when Picasso was just nine years old so we will never know for sure. Van Gogh never had a chance to see Picasso's art. Today, however, with texture synthesis techniques developed by Gatys et al. we have the potential to come close to simulating this possibility. We can combine an image created in one style with an image created in a different style to generate a new image with the content of the first image, but the style of the second. In this way, with style-transfer techniques, we can make a self-portrait painted by Van Gogh, Picasso-ish.

https://mtindo.ml

Description

What kinds of practical style transfer applications can be developed for non-technical people, such as creative professionals, that are easy to use, efficient, and push beyond the limits of what is currently possible with existing graphics tools? People think that machine learning requires a Ph.D./CS degree and a background in mathematics and statistics. It all sounds very complicated and difficult.

Unfortunately, machine learning isn’t easy to learn, but using applications designed with non-technical people in mind isn’t so hard and can be a lot of fun. Style transfer, which is the technique of recomposing images in the style of other images, is one form of machine learning that has started to be made available online to the general public through simple games.

Mtindo is a style transfer application for the desktop that offers non-technical people a unique opportunity to experience machine learning in action that explores some of the practical potentials of style transfer, beyond the game-like applications that are currently available. Mtindo means style in Swahili.

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Thesis