Coloring WW2DB Images with Machine Learning

Contributor:

Having been a minor contributor to WW2DB for a few years, I've been itching to apply some visualization, data analysis, and machine learning to the data amassed on this site. I recently started a project to create machine learning models to automatically color black and white images. I used images from WW2DB to train the models with the intent of providing a new, colored perspective on the historically non-colored images of WWII.

I wrote a simple blog post about it here: Coloring B&W Images with Machine Learning

There are currently more than to 26,000 images on WW2DB, but only a small percentage of them are in color. In the past, the famous ones have attracted enough attention to get colored manually. I thought it'd be interesting to have a way to see some of the lesser known ones in color as well. Much of the research into the techniques were developed by folks way smarter than me. I'm only applying those techniques to a specific set of data.

Here are some images I've generated so far, along with their black and white originals:

There's a lot more to do. The models generally have an accuracy of 60-70%, and the preliminary models can only generate color images that are 256x256. Still, it's exciting, and I wanted to share the news here. I've only colored a few images, but I hope to try a few more soon.

In the mean time, if there are any black and white images that you're itching to see colored, leave a comment below. Thanks!

Janice

Last Major Update: Nov 2019






Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Please help us spread the word:

 Reddit
 Bluesky
 Mastodon

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds


Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name 
Your Webite 
Your Email 
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type 
Your Comments 
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Search WW2DB
Famous WW2 Quote
"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue."

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, 16 Mar 1945


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!