Prof. Srinivasa Narashiman, The Robotics Institute, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University gave a KCIS distinguished lecture on Making Ordinary Cameras Extraordinary on 7 August. Here is a brief summary of his talk:

The convergence of computations with optics and imaging that started a few decades ago has created high quality, high dynamic range, low-light, and high resolution images and videos and are in all our smartphones today. In this talk, he summarised current research that combines computing with existing CMOS sensors and has the potential to quite simpy, change what it means to be a camera. He showed cameras with extraordinary abilities that can see beyond the line of sight, see deep beneath the skin, see audio and mechanical vibrations, see better in poor weather and murky waters, see beneath the surface of crops, and much more.

Prof. Srinivasa Narashiman is a professor at The Robotics Institute,  School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University. He served as an interim director of the Robotics Institute from August 2019 to December 2021. Prof. Narasimha obtained his Ph.D from Columbia University. His research focuses on the physics of computer vision and computer graphics. His projects highlight three main aspects of his research – the mathematical modelling of the interactions of light with materials and the atmosphere; the design of novel cameras and programmable lighting; and the development of algorithms for rendering and interpreting scene appearance. His research is motivated by applications in a wide range of fields including robotics, intelligent transportation, digital entertainment, remote sensing, underwater imaging and medical imaging.

August 2023