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Algorithm Reveals Objects Hidden Behind Other Things In Camera Phone Images

Posted by samzenpus on from the pay-no-attention-to-the-objects-behind-the-curtain dept.

KentuckyFC writes "Imaging is undergoing a quiet revolution at the moment thanks to various new techniques for extracting data from images. Now physicists have worked out how to create an image of an object hidden behind a translucent material using little more than an ordinary smartphone and some clever data processing. The team placed objects behind materials that scatter light such as onion skin, frosted glass and chicken breast tissue. They photographed them using a Nokia Lumina 1020 smartphone, with a 41 megapixel sensor. To the naked eye, the resulting images look like random speckle. But by treating the data from each pixel separately and looking for correlations between pixels, the team was able to produce images of the hidden objects. They even photographed light scattered off a white wall and recovered an image of the reflected scene--a technique that effectively looks round corners. The new technique has applications in areas such as surveillance and medical imaging."

7 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Obscuring vs destroying information by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "So save your "enhance!" jokes."

    pan left, grid 54

    "So save yo

    zoom grid 54 27, pan right

    "So d save yo

    pan right

    "So don't ......... save yo

    stop, pan left, hold

    "So don't save your "enhance!" jokes."

    *Vangelis starts playing*

  2. Frosted glass, huh? by cpt+kangarooski · · Score: 4, Funny

    You mean like the frosted glass commonly used for bathroom windows and shower doors? I see this as being a form of image processing that will rapidly be perfected.

    --
    -- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
  3. I hate to be that guy, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Tits or it never happened.

    1. Re:I hate to be that guy, but... by Minwee · · Score: 5, Funny

      Tits or it never happened.

      Katz and co use their Nokia to produce images of several objects hidden behind light scattering layers, such as frosted glass, onion skin and even chicken breast tissue.

      It happened.

  4. Re:As long as it can that for clothing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yes, I enjoy the thought of people getting paid to look at my naked flabby body. Their disgust turns me on. I really love hitting on my enhanced patdown specialists. I fly twice a week, and it's the thing I look forward to most in life right now. I'd tip them if it wouldn't put me on the no-fly list. The best part is when they run the back of their hand over my groin and find "something rigid" and then need to double check.

  5. Re:As long as it can that for clothing by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 5, Funny

    I read the summary.

    They had me at "breast".

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  6. Every family needs this for the kitchen by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 3, Funny

    An algorithm for perceiving objects hidden behind other objects could...enable even men to find things in the refrigerator!