1. A method for recognizing an object embodied in a computer-readable medium and executed by a processor, comprising: rendering a scene by applying a combination of one of a plurality of illumination modes and one of a plurality of animation modes to the object; comparing the rendered scene to an input frame to determine whether the object is recognized in the input frame; if the object is recognized in the input frame, reporting object recognition; if the object is not recognized in the input frame, determining whether there is a different combination of illumination and animation modes that has not yet been applied to the object; and if there is a different combination, repeating the method by rendering another scene using the different combination and comparing the input frame to the another scene; if there is not a different combination reporting no object recognition.