Navigating Research Focus in Point Cloud Processing

I’m currently a PhD student focusing on point cloud processing, and I recently reviewed all the papers related to this topic from CVPR 2024. While I find point clouds fascinating, I’m struggling to choose a specific research area to dive into. Everything feels similar to me right now, which might be due to my limited familiarity with the subfields.

I’d love to hear how others navigated this decision. What factors helped you choose your research focus in point cloud processing? Are there any emerging trends or less-explored areas that you think are worth considering?

1 Like

Consult with your counsellor. Ideally, they already have a list of recognisable themes. Deep dive into those, followed by a deeper dive into previously unexplored areas. If you can combine domain knowledge or an instinctive bias from a particular topic into your assignment, it will help you avoid competition.

I remember grappling with a similar challenge during my own research journey. I was also deeply interested in point cloud processing and found it overwhelming to choose a specific focus. What helped me was diving deeper into emerging trends and less-explored areas within the field. I looked into applications that had practical implications or gaps in the existing research. For instance, I found that integrating point cloud data with real-time systems or exploring novel techniques in point cloud compression were underexplored. Engaging with recent conference proceedings, attending workshops, and discussing with peers and advisors helped narrow down my interests. I’d recommend doing the same—explore niche areas, identify gaps, and consider how your work could address real-world problems.