On-the-fly removal of objects in video at DVinfo.net

Andrew Smith · October 13th, 2010, 09:43 AM

Check out the cached version of this story at Video: Voodoo Software Removes Objects From Video In Real Time | Popular Science

For some reason the source page defaults to the home page of Popular Science. Have they pulled the story?

Demo video is available directly at YouTube - The incredible world of Diminished Reality

Objects are removed in real time, thwarted by reflections which would essentially count as a separate object as far as the software is concerned. Very interesting tech, especially as it is processed live with a mere 40 milliseconds.

Andrew

Chad Johnson · January 26th, 2011, 02:54 PM

I would love to see this in product form! That could be really useful. It looks like you need an uncluttered background for it to work, but hey sometimes something like this is all you need.

Andy Wilkinson · January 26th, 2011, 03:02 PM

Wow, with this I could film, e.g. steam train specials, and apply a "people filter" to take out everyone else trying to do the same/getting into shot...but in reality (as has been indicated) it probably needs a plain (or at least relatively uniform) background to do it's on the fly masking. Very impressive demo though.

Sareesh Sudhakaran · January 26th, 2011, 09:45 PM

Very interesting. Unfortunately there are too many motion artifacts that make it look like a bad clone-stamp job. It can only get better, though.

Andrew Smith · January 27th, 2011, 05:20 AM

Any remaining blotchyness in the texture of the background objects won't get noticed if people aren't looking for it. Understandably we are, due to the nature of it being a demo.

Beats doing it manually.

Andrew

Jason Lowe · January 27th, 2011, 10:39 AM

It's not quite there yet, but it wasn't all that long ago that DV Magazine ran an article about how it was "almost" possible to edit video on a laptop, so with increases in computer technology, it will certainly improve dramatically. I wonder how well something like this would work if the minds at Pixar, ILM, or Weta started thinking along these lines?

BTW, the comments in the youtube video are hysterical.

Peter Ford · January 27th, 2011, 10:58 AM

If it gets a bit more polished, i could see this being useful for live TV - removing a brand logo, or hiding something ugly but immovable that spoils a wide shot.

Steve Siegel · January 27th, 2011, 04:52 PM

Too bad this won't remove objects that are moving relative to the rest of the scene. Would be great to get rid of that out-of-focus waving blade of grass in the foreground that you didn't notice at the time but that ruined the shot.

Markus Bo · January 31st, 2011, 01:34 AM

@Andrew: The story is right, here is the original press info from the university of Ilmenau in Germany: Themenbox

October 13th, 2010, 09:43 AM	#1
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,064	On-the-fly removal of objects in video Check out the cached version of this story at Video: Voodoo Software Removes Objects From Video In Real Time \| Popular Science For some reason the source page defaults to the home page of Popular Science. Have they pulled the story? Demo video is available directly at YouTube - The incredible world of Diminished Reality Objects are removed in real time, thwarted by reflections which would essentially count as a separate object as far as the software is concerned. Very interesting tech, especially as it is processed live with a mere 40 milliseconds. Andrew

January 26th, 2011, 02:54 PM	#2
Chad Johnson Major Player Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Arcata, Ca Posts: 750	I would love to see this in product form! That could be really useful. It looks like you need an uncluttered background for it to work, but hey sometimes something like this is all you need. __________________ My Work: http://www.youtube.com/ChadWork1 Sony FS5 :: Panasonic GH4 :: Sony PMW-EX1 :: FCPx :: AT4053b :: Rode NTG-3,

January 26th, 2011, 03:02 PM	#3
Andy Wilkinson Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 2,853	Wow, with this I could film, e.g. steam train specials, and apply a "people filter" to take out everyone else trying to do the same/getting into shot...but in reality (as has been indicated) it probably needs a plain (or at least relatively uniform) background to do it's on the fly masking. Very impressive demo though. __________________ Andy K Wilkinson - https://www.shootingimage.co.uk Cambridge (UK) Corporate Video Production

January 26th, 2011, 09:45 PM	#4
Sareesh Sudhakaran Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,385	Very interesting. Unfortunately there are too many motion artifacts that make it look like a bad clone-stamp job. It can only get better, though. __________________ Get the Free Comprehensive Guide to Rigging ANY Camera - one guide to rig them all - DSLRs to the Arri Alexa.

January 31st, 2011, 01:34 AM	#9
Markus Bo Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Ingelheim (Rheinland-Pfalz) Posts: 140	@Andrew: The story is right, here is the original press info from the university of Ilmenau in Germany: Themenbox __________________ Freelance full service reporter www.boehnisch.de

January 27th, 2011, 05:20 AM	#5
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,064	Any remaining blotchyness in the texture of the background objects won't get noticed if people aren't looking for it. Understandably we are, due to the nature of it being a demo. Beats doing it manually. Andrew

January 27th, 2011, 10:39 AM	#6
Jason Lowe Major Player Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Smithfield, Pennsylvania Posts: 226	It's not quite there yet, but it wasn't all that long ago that DV Magazine ran an article about how it was "almost" possible to edit video on a laptop, so with increases in computer technology, it will certainly improve dramatically. I wonder how well something like this would work if the minds at Pixar, ILM, or Weta started thinking along these lines? BTW, the comments in the youtube video are hysterical.

January 27th, 2011, 10:58 AM	#7
Peter Ford Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: London, uk Posts: 99	If it gets a bit more polished, i could see this being useful for live TV - removing a brand logo, or hiding something ugly but immovable that spoils a wide shot.

January 27th, 2011, 04:52 PM	#8
Steve Siegel Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Posts: 840	Too bad this won't remove objects that are moving relative to the rest of the scene. Would be great to get rid of that out-of-focus waving blade of grass in the foreground that you didn't notice at the time but that ruined the shot.