Kamis, 26 April 2012

The camera that 'prints out' what it sees

The camera that 'prints out' what it sees

  • Camera uses Amazon system to 'describe' what it 'sees'
  • 'Mechanical Turk' sends images to staff who write brief description
  • Prints out brief written descriptions using written info and camera data

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 22:49 EST, 25 April 2012 | UPDATED: 09:46 EST, 26 April 2012

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then how much is a camera worth that produces descriptions along with images?

Rather than looking at an image and deciding what you see, a new prototype camera will actually describe to you the scene in several words, printing it out on a small piece of paper.

The Descriptive Camera, created by Matt Richardson, has all of the features of a normal camera and will capture any image in front of it - with the textual description as an added bonus.

The camera that prints out what it sees What you get is what you see: The descriptions are outsourced by Amazon Mechanical Turk, and take around six minutes to come back with a description

What you get is what you see: The descriptions are outsourced by Amazon Mechanical Turk, and take around six minutes to come back with a description

Snapshot: The Descriptive Camera, a prototype, produces short descriptions of every image captured

Snapshot: The Descriptive Camera, a prototype, produces short descriptions of every image captured

The camera will then produce a textual account of the scene, often in a dozen words or less, via low-cost outsourcing.

Mr Richardson, a self-proclaimed techie, describes on his blog how the fascinating technology works.

Like any other camera, the Descriptive Camera captures metadata after the shutter is pressed, including when the photo was taken, the time, and the camera’s settings.

Mr Richardson’s design goes one step further.

By using Amazon Mechanical Turk, an outsourcing system where users can pay others to process data types for a nominal fee, the camera uses old-fashioned man power to describe the scene.

The descriptions allow better cataloguing of digital images, and can range from highly descriptive, to fairly minimal.

One Instigram picture of a city building reads: ‘This is a faded picture of a dilapidated building. It seems to be run down and in need of repairs.’

Pics

In so many words: The Instigram picture of a city building reads: 'This is a faded picture of a dilapidated building. It seems to be run down and in need of repairs'

How it works: The camera has a USB webcam and a thermal printer inside, and is hooked via Ethernet and a five-volt plug

How it works: The camera has a USB webcam and a thermal printer inside, and is hooked via Ethernet and a five-volt plug

The concept stemmed from the overwhelming amount of digital images without automatic forms of captioning.

Mr Richardson writes: ‘Imagine if descriptive metadata about each photo could be appended to the image on the fly.’

He noted that as it stands, it is difficult to individually caption or search hundreds upon hundreds of family photos and that the Descriptive Camera, though a prototype, shows promise that this technology may one day become reality.

The camera uses a USB webcam and also has a thermal printer embedded in it, sending its data to Amazon Mechanical Turk via Ethernet. 

The standing cost of any one given description is $1.25, with an average response time of six minutes â€" but Mr Richardson notes that the fastest responses come in as little as three minutes.

However, the prototype is not portable, and runs off of an external five-volt source.

Mr Richardson's past inventions include a hacked TV remote that can b e programed to mute the television whenever a selected word is spoken, as well as creating a Google Reader pedal.

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

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The headline pulled me in from my webpage, but to be honest.. for such a short article I gave up after the first couple paragraphs and notations under the pictures. Until this does much more than it's capable of today. I really do not see the point of it? Technology is supposed to make life easier or enhance it. Did I miss something here?

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Description, I see an idiot paying a lot of money for someone else to describe what they see. Duh!!

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It's fake.

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It uses Amazon's 'Mechanical Turk' technology. Meaning - someone is sent a copy of the picture an types out what they see. If you can't be bothered to label your pics that's all very well. Someone else is doing it for you. But to say that the 'camera is describing' the scene is at best sloppy journalism. At worst, it's a lie.

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I can foresee a new website of photographs of OBESE people with a description of what the camera thinks it is seeing.- FRANK, SLOUGH, 26/4/2012 11:57--------------------Closely followed by the offended fat person suing the camera for hurt feelings......

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Just done my own print out. Large breasts Red underwear Nice bum Nice legs Short skirt. - Martin, Earth, 26/4/2012 8:20 Just another person taking photos of themselves for the internet then huh Martin ;-)

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That's TIDN! (Technology I Don't Need)

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This is like a backwards version of a polaroid

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I can foresee a new website of photographs of OBESE people with a description of what the camera thinks it is seeing.

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Hope that camera isn't disslcksi--dyslsecc-lexdicksic........oh you know what I mean.

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