MIT researchers have developed a new imaging tech that could improve both medical imaging and self-driving cars.
It’s hard to distinguish between different types of tissues with X-rays, which is why so many biopsies and invasive procedures are needed. “But if it was possible to create a system which could augment X-rays, or replace them in some cases, it would mean that some of these invasive procedures could be reduced or avoided altogether. That’s really the Holy Grail for our research,” explains Guy Satat from MIT’s Media Lab.
When it comes to autonomous cars and foggy conditions, the problem is the same because of the scattering effect. This makes it impossible to achieve the contrast necessary to differentiate between different objects the self-driving car is seeing.
With the newly developed technology, things might finally change.
The tech is a camera with a smart algorithm that uses light and time to produce an image of what it is that has scattered photons in a particular way. The algorithm can reverse-engineer a conclusion about what the light has passed through to get there simply by figuring out how long it takes individual photons to reach the camera lens.
Besides improving self-driving cars and medical imaging, this technique could also be used for helping satellite images see through clouds.
Source:
Digital Trends (http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/algorithm-visible-light-experiment)
The Wonderful World of Algorithms 