Apple iPhone 12 – AI & InfraRed Cameras?
As we’re all still trying to digest the impact of the iPhone 11 series of smartphones, Apple recently bought UK start-up company Spectral Edge. The company uses infrared imaging and machine learning to create crisper, more lifelike photos. The start-up has been working on improving camera white balance and combining infrared photos with standard photos.
Back in 2016, Spectral Edge MD Christopher Cytera was telling TechCrunch about a computational photography technique called Phusion. The system works especially well for enhancing detail in shots taken on hazy days or when elements in the scene have been over-exposed.
“It’s bringing extra detail into the picture that you can’t necessarily see with a normal camera. Because infrared penetrates through mist and fog much better than visible light. And so when you have a picture with a little bit of mist, little bit of fog you get a much more stunning effect,” Christopher Cytera told TechCrunch.
Apple’s iPhone cameras are already enhanced with machine learning processes, like Deep Fusion. The process combines different photos taken simultaneously to create an improved single photo from the best bits of each.
Since purchasing the company, Christopher Cytera (along with CEO Rhodri Thomas, among others others) has been removed as director. In addition, the Phusion website has been taken down. So, we can only assume the company is being taken within the giant tech company and re-fashioned according to their needs.
But Cytera left us some clues as to how Phusion works:
“In simple terms we do it by transforming the pictures into what’s called the gradient space. What we’re doing is we’re differentiating every pixel with respect to every other pixel and color in multiple dimensions. And what that does is it preserves every single gradient — all the gradients and edges in the picture are perfectly preserved.” said Cytera.
“Whereas other techniques try to blend pictures and you end up with blurred effects as a result — you lose edge definition. We don’t do that because we differentiate all these pixels.” Christopher Cytera, Phusion
After a little hunting, I found this test video by Spectral Edge from April 2019 which appears to show the software providing extra dynamic range in low light:
Update: Forbes recently reported the new Phusion technology will not be making it into the iPhone 12. But they do reveal that the iPhone 12 is rumoured to come in no less than 6 models. 3 with dual cameras and 3 with triple cameras (and Time-of-Flight 3D sensing capabilities).
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