Enhancing low resolution video using high resolution still images

Researchers at the University of Washington have devised a method for enhancing low resolution video using high resolution still images of the same scene. Their technology is aimed at the new hybrid cameras such as the Sony HDR-HC7 and Canon HV10 that are capable of capturing both video and still images at the same time. The researchers presented in a paper they published at the International Conference on Computational Photography (ICCP) a method that combines an optical flow and an image-based rendering algorithm to greatly improve the resolution of the video. The results are very good even for very demanding scenes with low texture making difficult to estimate optical flow accurately. The only downside to the method is that it is slow to compute. According to the number published in the paper, it takes 12 minutes per 640x480 pixels frame to estimate the optical flow and an additional 1 minute for the all other necessary computations. The researchers suggest that a GPU-based implementation would greatly reduce the processing time; it may be time for them to invest in a TESLA personal supercomputer.

For more details on the method and lots of examples of it working watch the 9-minute video below.