Amazing Image Tools

I'm constantly amazed what computers can do with an image. I reported on the SIGGRAPH conference when I was back at the BYU Radio News, and since then, have noticed that they produce AMAZING RESEARCH. Really cool stuff. Not everything I'll be mentioning here came from there, but at least a couple were.

Transforming a 2D Image into 3D

I can't help but feel like there are applications for this that are just waiting for the technique to become commercially available. Real estate tours. Video games. Anything where you want to create a virtual environment based on an actual one. If I could take a handful of pictures of my house and post them here in a way that would let people "walk through" and take a look, I'd do it for SURE, not because it needs to happen, but just because it's so cool. I actually have tried it before, just a different technique.

I tried to download the research software they used to produce these results, but couldn't figure it out. Sorry.

3D morphable model face animation

Same as before, I have to think this would just be a lot of fun to play with. It is surprisingly accurate in replicating a given face, at least European Caucasian faces. I'm sure my face would work perfectly. I'm about as Anglo European as a person can be. Blond hair, blue eyes, heck, so far as aesthetics go, I'm the Aryan poster-child.
But I digress. There is similar technology that is being capitalized upon. In fact, there used to be a trial download for this program, but I guess they've generated enough buzz that the trial was no longer necessary for them, and is no longer available. Sorry.
There are other toys you can try.

Seamcarving

Amazing. And easy. You can try it, here.
See an example of what I got.


One of these things is not like the other.
Just think of all the great uses for this one!

Closed Eyes No More
Microsoft came up with this extremely practical solution for an extremely common problem. I know a girl who blinks in EVERY SINGE PICTURE you ever take of her. This should be a staple for anybody taking group shots on any kind of consistent basis. Or, you could just play the odds.

Tourists? Please...We're local.
If you're ever interested in getting a picture of only the people you want in a shot of a crowded space, there are solutions. Easy and free ones. You'll just have to take a bunch of pictures.

Panorama
Speaking of taking a bunch of pictures, you know you've done the thing where you take ten pictures to get a panorama of some lovely vista, with the intention of stitching them together later on. But do you really know how to do that? I don't, not manually, aside from literally cutting and pasting them. My answer is Autostitch. It's free. It's easy. It works. And you really can get some stunning results. I haven't yet, all I've done are these silly pictures of my roommates. Of course, the next step is the VR version.

T.E.D.D.Y.

Thought this was soo cool when I first saw it. I don't know of any "practical application", per se, but I know there is. There always is.
And you CAN give this one a try.

Famous
Not Amazing, but fun. Try it.