Smartphone cameras are great -- except, usually, for zooming in, lighting and producing high-quality photos.
Researchers at MIT, however, have developed a processor chip that they say can instantly convert mobile device snapshots into professional-looking pictures.
The chip, pictured here, integrates into any mobile device or digital camera, and can be used to improve lighting, apply effects and kill low-light background noise. Plus, researchers say, it uses significantly less power than full computer processors or video cards.
One of the chip's tasks enhances low light photos. "Typically when taking pictures in a low-light situation, if we don’t use flash on the camera we get images that are pretty dark and noisy," Rahul Rithe, a graduate student in MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, says in a press release. "And if we do use the flash we get bright images but with harsh lighting, and the ambience created by the natural lighting in the room is lost."
So, to avoid photos turning out like this, the chip takes two images -- one using flash, one without it -- and combines only the most desirable parts of both photos into a composite image.
It's unclear when the processor will come to market. The group presented their findings at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco, which wrapped up today.
Does this sound like something you'd use?
Watch the video above to learn more, and read the official release here.
BONUS: 6 Killer Apps for Mobile Photo Editing
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