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Google Brain Creates Technology That Can Zoom In, Enhance Pixelated Images (softpedia.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the zooming-progression dept.

Google Brain has created new software that can create detailed images from tiny, pixelated images. If you've ever tried zooming in on an image, you know that it generally becomes more blurry. You'd just get larger pixels and not a clear image. Google's new software effectively extracts details from a few source pixels to enhance pixelated images. Softpedia reports: For instance, Google Brain presented some 8x8 pixel images which it then turned into some pretty clear photos where you can actually tell facial features apart. What is this sorcery, you ask? Well, it's Google combining two neural networks. The first one, the conditioning network, works to map the 8x8 pixel source image against other high-resolution images. Basically, it downsizes other high-res images to the same 8x8 size and tries to make a match on the features. Then, the second network comes into play, called the prior network. This one uses an implementation of PixelCNN to add realistic, high-res details to that 8x8 source image. If the networks know that one particular pixel could be an eye, when you zoom in, you'll see the shape of an eye there. Or an eyebrow, or a mouth, for instance. The technology was put to the test and it was quite successful against humans. Human observers were shown a high-resolution celebrity face vs. the upscaled image resulted from Google Brain. Ten percent of the time, they were fooled. When it comes to the bedroom images used by Google for the testing, 28 percent of humans were fooled by the computed image.

3 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No CSI by rmdingler · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Law enforcement would never rely upon unproven methods to improve conviction rates.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

  2. They've been watching too much TV by taustin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    TV Detective: "We have this security video showing the murder."

    TV Lab Rat: "It's too grainy to tell how is it?"

    TV Detective: "Can't you enhance it?"

    TV Lab Rat: "Sure. Who do you want it to look like?"

  3. Come on Google by CODiNE · · Score: 3, Insightful

    At least make the world a better place...
    by making this a MAME scaler.

    --
    Cwm, fjord-bank glyphs vext quiz