ENLIGHTEN3D

By Joshua Koopferstock

Being able to see through haze would be neat enough in its own right, but DARPA-funded scientists are going one step beyond that and using the haze to actually see further than they would be able to see if it wasn’t there.  More specifically, these researchers believe that the shimmering of heat “waves” can in fact be used as a lens, with the right image recognition technology.

Photo by Keirn

The goal? 90% accurate facial recognition at 1km with a 6cm lens.  As the system combines the data from multiple images, you will not be able to see 1km away in real time; the aim is 1 frame per second.

What I like about this approach is that it takes something that is impeding the goal — haze blocks your ability to see far — and turns it into an improvement — haze helps you see farther!  More problems should be solved this way.

View the technical presentation

Source: New Scientist