Communications - February 2009

Nnews

Science | DOI: 10.1145/1461928.1461933
Kirk L. Kroeker

Photography’s
Bright future

Researchers working in computational photography are using computer vision, computer graphics, and applied optics to bring a vast array of new capabilities to digital cameras.

PhotograPh by shree nayar

WhiLe the fiRSt digital cameras were bulky, possessed few features, and captured images that were of dubious quality, digital cameras today pack an enormous array of features and technologies into small designs. And the quality of pictures captured on these cameras has improved dramatically, even to the point where most professional photographers have abandoned film and shoot exclusively with digital equipment. Given that digital photography has established itself as superior to analog film in many aspects, it might seem safe to assume that the next breakthroughs in this area will be along the lines of more megapixels or smaller handheld designs. However, researchers working in the emerging area of computational photography—a movement that draws on computer vision, computer graphics, and applied optics—say the next major breakthroughs in digital photography will be in how images are captured and processed.

Indeed, the technology powering digital photography is rapidly improving and is certainly facilitating the ability to capture images at increasingly

a camera mechanism designed to enhance depth of field without compromising light quality. a sensor mounted on a movable platform and controlled by a microactuator can capture an image that is equally blurred everywhere but can be deblurred to produce an image with an unusually large depth of field.

high resolutions on ever smaller hardware. But most digital cameras today still operate much like traditional film cameras, offering a similar set of features and options. Researchers working in computational photography are pushing for new technologies and de-

signs that will give digital cameras abilities that analog cameras do not have, such as the ability to capture multiple views in one image or change focal settings even after a shot is taken.