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Pradeep Kumar

16/06/21 12:00 PM IST

Improved method of imaging objects through fog

In news

Imaging of objects in foggy weather conditions may now be clearer.

Research
  • Researchers have found a method that can improve the images captured on such days.
  • The technique involves modulating the light source and demodulating them at the observer’s end.
  • The cost of the technique is low, requiring only a few LEDs and an ordinary desktop computer, which can execute the technique within a second.
  • The researchers have demonstrated the technique by conducting extensive experiments on foggy winter mornings at Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh.
  • They chose ten red LED lights as the source of light. Then, they modulated this source of light by varying the current flowing through the LEDs at a rate of about 15 cycles per second.
  • The researchers kept a camera at a distance of 150 metres from the LEDs.
  • The camera captured the image and transmitted it to a desktop computer. Then, computer algorithms used the knowledge of the modulation frequency to extract the characteristics of the source. This process is called ‘demodulation’.
  • The demodulation of the image had to be done at a rate that was equal to the rate of modulation of the source of light to get a clear image.
  • The team repeated the experiment a few times and observed the improvement each time. 
Significance
  • The method can improve the landing techniques of aeroplanes by providing the pilot with a good view of beacons on the runway, significantly better than relying only on reflected radio waves as is presently the case.
  • The technique can help reveal obstacles in the path that would otherwise be hidden by fog in rail, sea, and road transportation and would also help spotting lighthouse beacons.
Source: PIB

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