Physics-informed image inpainting for fluid flow reconstruction*

Image inpainting is the process of reconstructing missing / masked regions in an image. Typically, these techniques take an input image partially covered by a mask blocking a certain area to be recovered. The output image must completely resemble the available information of the input image whilst be consistent in the area to be reconstructed. For fluid flow applications, a direct analogy can be made between an image in RGB color code and a flow with UVP (2D velocity and pressure) or UVW (3D velocity) components. We leverage the use of image inpainting techniques to predict and recover parts of the missing flow based on the surrounding available information. The masked area can be filled with flow features adhering to physical constraints, ensuring the flow reconstruction is consistent with a viable physical behavior. Physics-informed image inpainting is highly relevant for experimental fluid dynamicists facing visual limitations from setup constraints and for other fields where fluid information is partially available, such as weather reconstruction based on on-ground weather stations or partially blanked satellite data.