Google & MIT's New Algorithm Uses Edge Detection To Remove Reflections From Photos

A Computational Approach for Obstruction-Free Photography

A team of researchers from MIT (Tianfan Xue, Michael Rubinstein, Ce Liu and William T. Freeman) are teaming up with Google with to present a new algorithm that is able to extract photographic inconveniences such as glares and reflections from photographs. The algorithm can then reproduce the image free of any reflections, in addition to being able to create an additional image of the reflection itself. This kind of problem solving would be especially useful when shooting behind glass or a fence, for example.

The algorithm requires the photographer to take a very brief video of what they are trying to photograph. The algorithm then compares the frames from the video clip to establish a reference photo using edge detection.

You can read the full details of the project by delving into the team’s research paper, A Computational Approach for Obstruction-Free Photography and by checking out the video below…