Domino portrait generation: a fast and scalable approach

A domino portrait is an approximation of an image using a given number of sets of dominoes. This problem was first formulated in 1981 by Ken Knowlton in a patent application, which was finally granted in 1983. Domino portraits have been generated most often using integer linear programming techniques that provide optimal solutions, but these can be slow and do not scale well to larger portraits. In this paper we propose a new approach that overcomes these limitations and provides high quality portraits. Our approach combines techniques from operations research, artificial intelligence, and computer vision. Starting from a randomly generated template of blank domino shapes, a subsequent optimal placement of dominoes can be achieved in constant time when the problem is viewed as a minimum cost flow. The domino portraits one obtains are good, but not as visually attractive as optimal ones. Combining techniques from computer vision and large neighborhood search we can quickly improve the portraits. Empirically, we show that we obtain many orders of magnitude reduction in search time.