Israeli Tech to Neutralize Shadow in Smart Face Recognition Imaging

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Strong background light creates shadows, for example when people walk into buildings, interfering with the ability of cameras to recognize faces. A new software app developed in Israel removes the effect the background light has on the scene and leave only the flash light. It can be added to any smart camera and used for face recognition for security and augmented reality.

The Light Invariant Video Imaging (LIVI) software technology can significantly improve picture clarity of cameras in sub-optimal lighting, thus enhancing object recognition. According to BGN Technologies, the technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University, the technology increases the functionality of cameras by eliminating the effects of background or dynamic lighting conditions, thereby delivering shadow-free images with constant color output and improved contrast.

The software relies on amplitude-modulated (AM) light separation, similar, in principle, to AM radio communication. This enables cameras to separate the influence of a modulated light from unwanted light sources in the scene, causing the AM video camera frame to appear the same, independent of the light conditions in which it was taken.

Prof. Hugo Guterman from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and head of the BGU Laboratory of Autonomous Robotics says their invention can have numerous applications, from smart security cameras through cellphone or computer face recognition apps, augmented reality and video game applications and military use.

The video analytics market is most likely the first market in which the technology will be integrated since robust camera frames improve performance of facial recognition and identification.

Amir Kolaman, a Ph.D. student at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was working on his thesis on underwater photography when the issue of backlight arose. Together with Prof. Guterman, they developed the system that filters out the backlight for each pixel in the image, much the same way that a radio receiver filters one station from another, according to prnewswire.com. “We turn each camera pixel into an AM receiver that tunes to the flash light and filters out the background lights from the output frames.”