TLDR:
- Prophesee and Qualcomm developed Metavision Image Deblur technology to eliminate blur in smartphone photos.
- The technology works by using a sensor and AI-driven calculations to synchronize the phone’s RGB sensor with the Metavision sensor.
A new advanced neuromorphic system designed by Prophesee and Qualcomm aims to eliminate blurring in smartphone photos through the use of AI and existing processing power. The Metavision Image Deblur technology is optimized for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and will be most common in Android smartphones in 2024. Traditional smartphone cameras have struggled with freezing action, especially in low-light conditions, leading to blurry photos. Metavision works to eliminate blur through hardware and software, providing blur cancellation rather than reduction. The technology works by synchronizing the phone’s frame-based RGB sensor with the event-based Metavision sensor, filling in gaps in the image in microseconds to prevent blur.
How the Image Deblurring Works
Prophesee’s Metavision sensor focuses on how pixels in a scene continuously change, activating neurons asynchronously based on the number of photons sensed. By syncing with the phone’s RGB camera, the Metavision sensor prevents blur from occurring, even in fast-moving scenes with low lighting. The technology aims to be integrated into smartphone camera pipelines to optimize exposure, shutter speed, and ISO based on motion in the frame. Despite its potential, Metavision requires smartphone makers to build the hardware into their devices at the factory, limiting its immediate availability.
Setting Expectations
While some smartphones with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset may be on the market, they won’t be able to utilize Metavision without the sensor built-in. Smartphone brands will need to choose which lens to optimize for Metavision, as the technology is not one-size-fits-all for all optics on a camera module. Prophesee is also working on implementing video support in the future. Ultimately, the technology is ready for any phone running the latest Snapdragon chipset, offering improved image quality and reduced blur in action shots.
