Government and private surveillance companies have a new weapon. Software developed at SRI International in Menlo Park, CA, can identify words and numbers in moving video taken under difficult conditions. The software locates characters, extracts them from the background, and adjusts for lighting or angled views. Gregory Myers, program director at SRI, says the software could be used in applications ranging from video archiving to homeland security.
The software works by examining each frame of a video for sharp lines set against a contrasting background – telltale indicators of character strokes. Since text often persists over many frames, the software also looks for text similarity among frames to increase accuracy. If characters are warped or unclear, image-processing algorithms straighten them and even out their tone. The cleaned-up characters are then fed into optical character-recognition engines that convert them to machine-searchable text.
The company is working with government agencies that need to identify ships and vehicles from rough video; Myers expects that the software will soon be available for private consumer use as well.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.
“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.
What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines
New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.
Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats
With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure
Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation
From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.