Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a special effects technique that marries digital stills with video footage in order to overcome bad exposure and missing detail in the video image.

Called Space/Time Fusion, the technique works by taking video footage that’s blurry or overexposed and substituting the digital information with that of a properly exposed and focused still shots of the same subject. The technique can also remove unwanted subjects or objects like they were never there. And all done automatically thanks to an algorithm in the Space Time Fusion software which analyzes both video and digital imagery and then marries them together at similar points.

The results are more natural lighting conditions, sharper backgrounds, and bolder colors that were once washed out due to inferior video chips. But what’s really cool is that by taking and comparing similar stills that don’t have any unwanted subject matter in them, the software can pick out and replace people and things that obscure the image and replace them with background that naturally looks like it belongs.

Other applications include: High resolution/definition video; High dynamic range video; Creating painterly (NPR) video; Video stabilization; Easy video editing

But don’t be looking for this software to hit the market anytime soon. At the moment, it only works with video cameras that are “locked down” and still to match the still images. Until the researchers are able to use in motion based situations, this software will remain largely theoretical. But that’ll change since the major breakthrough has already been made. And it’ll turn the video world upside down when it does.

Check out the video of Space/Time Fusion here.

Hat Tip – D’Vice