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Microsoft could launch a Mars mission with
NASA!
By Ben Fountain, Business Weekly
23 January 2004
Cambridge researchers have used stellar leaps in the understanding of human
perception to develop technology which has the potential to revolutionise the
visual media.
A team from Microsoft Research in Cambridge has created a software package
which fools the human brain into processing 2D images – on movie screens, TV
screens, computer screens in magazines or newspapers, or even photo albums – in
three dimensions.
The machine vision group, led by Andrew Blake, has used 21st century
software engineering to recreate the effect used in 3D films as early as the
1950’s without the need for preposterous and impractical red-green, cardboard 3D
glasses.
Antonio Criminisi of the research group believes that the commercial
applications for the artificial stereo vision technology are virtually limitless
– for example making a photograph leap from the page of a magazine in an
entirely new way or dramatically increasing the feeling of nostalgia when
looking at holiday snaps.
He said: “There are, of course, exciting applications such as 3D television
or movies, but one of the early applications we are looking at is the concept of
virtual tourism.
“3D reconstruction allows us to effectively create 3D models from 2D
images, which is particularly appealing in the case of holiday
photographs.
“People will be able to interact with photographs taken on the beach or at
a monument or tourist attraction, allowing them to re-experience
experiences.”
MSR Cambridge recently uploaded the first publicly available demo of the
technology onto its website, using images beamed back by NASA’s Mars Lander.
NASA had itself published the images as ‘anaglyphs’, designed for viewing in 3D
with red-green glasses, and therefore ideal subject matter to prove the
effectiveness of the technology.
The team is not yet officially working with NASA but Criminisi said that
the team planned to contact the space agency in the near future to discuss the
scope for collaboration, particularly with respect to the Mars mission.
Criminisi explained the background to the development of artificial stereo
vision: “This technology is grounded in MSR’s research into machine or computer
vision, which is a branch of artificial intelligence.
“It’s important for us to understand how the human brain understands depths
and distances and enables us to grasp objects for example. It will help us to
advance computers’ abilities in motion detection and object recognition, for
example.
“This particular technology replicates what the human brain does when it
‘fuses’ two different images from our two eyes. We don’t get two different
images from our two eyes – the brain takes the images and creates one organic
image, complete with a sense of depths, distances and perspective.
“All the technology requires is two slightly displaced images of the same
object and it will trick the brain into thinking that it is looking at a 3D
model.”
Criminisi said the model for commercialisation of artificial stereo vision
had not yet been decided but the team had established a close relationship with
product groups in Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters, travelling to the US to
“show off” the invention.
He said the technology still required a little honing before it was ready
for commercialisation and he remained undecided as to whether he would take part
in the commercialisation process or stick to what he knew best – research.
An online demo of the technology can be found at: http://research.microsoft.com/~antcrim/mars_web_MSRC
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