Technology
Researchers have developed algorithms that reconstruct a hidden image from the scrambled light waves that bounce off a wall, making it possible to see things behind a corner
Technology for seeing around corners would be of use to the military
Matthew Horwood/Getty Images
An ordinary camera could soon take photos of things that are out of sight, thanks to algorithms that interpret how light bounces off a wall.
“Normally, when light bounces off rough surfaces, like walls, it scrambles the scene into a messy blur,” says Wenwen Li at the University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei. “Our goal was to ‘unscramble’ that blur and recover the hidden scene. Think of it like turning a rough wall into a mirror.”
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