From Video to Photo

About this technology

Overview

A critical imaging code used to enhance video footage taken from spaceborne imaging instruments is now available within a portable photography tool capable of producing an optimized, high-resolution image from multiple video frames. RedHawk Vision, Inc., developed an image-motion compensation algorithm with assistance from Marshall Space Flight Center under Phase I (1992) and Phase II (1998) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts. By calculating the movement of a scene and then repositioning it back to the original position, the algorithm allows NASA to zoom and stabilize video footage without loss of detail, extract photo-quality still images, and even salvage dark, blurry, and jumbled video that is otherwise unusable. The new PaparazziT stand-alone video-to-photo processing software generates clear, high-quality images from noisy, grainy streaming video, much in the same way that the human brain sees" video content: scene by scene. Paparazzi takes the best parts of multiple frames of video and overlays them to create an image of superior quality in less than 10 seconds unlike a frame-grabber which extracts images from only a single video frame and at a much slower rate. As a result Paparazzi catches extra details unattainable when using a frame-grabber such as the exact time displayed on a wristwatch being worn by an individual in motion."