FarAway: shoot video through haze, mist, and smoke

Amos Talmi

doi:10.1117/12.613183

25 May 2005 FarAway: shoot video through haze, mist, and smoke

Amos Talmi

Proceedings Volume 5811, Targets and Backgrounds XI: Characterization and Representation; (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.613183
Event: Defense and Security, 2005, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

Anybody can mount a zooming lens on his camera and observe distant objects. FarAway penetrates the blanket of haze that obscures such objects, regardless of the origin - mist, smoke, dust, rain, aerosols, etc. The system works with live Video, 25 frames/second, performing the restoration in real time on a PC hardware. No pre-knowledge about the obscurants, targets or distances is required. The novelty lies in performance; the system does not use image-processing tricks or contrast-stretching, but rather restores the original true image with its true colors. The current version is capable of relative-contrast enhancement of up to 90 times in color and up to 130 in B/W or NIR, the limit dictated by electrical noise. Facing the sun, this means a three-fold and more increase in detection and recognition ranges. Both color and NIR systems were extensively and successfully tested under rain, mists, haze and dust storms at ranges from 0.2 to 65 km. Turbulence effects are treated crudely, reducing apparent turbulence dance and smear by a factor of 2 to 4. Tests have proved its superiority over existing top-rank military systems. A related technology is Very Far Away. While Far Away uses commercial as-is cameras, the Very Far Away uses a specially designed color camera. The special camera allows extension of the visibility range by a further 70%.

Citation Download Citation

Amos Talmi "FarAway: shoot video through haze, mist, and smoke", Proc. SPIE 5811, Targets and Backgrounds XI: Characterization and Representation, (25 May 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.613183

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