From this … … to this via the stars

Metropolis Data Consultants (MDC) is launching a new, easy-to-use plug-in for imaging software that will allow users to improve the quality of images taken in lowlight conditions, correct grainy scanned images and improve over-compressed images. The image de-noising software, called ‘The EMT’, applies image reconstruction techniques currently used in astronomy to remove noise from images of faint galaxies acquired by some of the world’s most powerful telescopes to ordinary photography. MDC founders Drs Michael Hobson and Charles McLachlan have developed the technology over the course of 15 years of astronomical research.

MDC’s approach uses a multiscale Bayesian analysis to remove the photon noise that causes the stippling or red, green and blue pixels in images. The basic idea is to consider the image at many different levels of coarseness, from the resolution of the original data through to the total number of photons in the entire image. They can then use the higher signal-to-noise at coarser resolutions to infer the truth at the finest resolution. This is made possible by using the underlying physical statistics associated with the photon noise, together with a Bayesian prior that describes the relationship between different levels of coarseness. The result is a much clearer image.

Dr Michael Hobson, founder of the company said of the launch:
“The EMT’s strength lies in its simplicity. By accurately modelling the true physical processes that can effect photographic quality we have created a tool that requires almost no user intervention, you just press the button and your pictures look cleaner. We are pleased that, for the first time, advanced image processing techniques are within the grasp of all our customers”

Commenting on the launch of the new software, George Whitehead, Business Development Director at NESTA said:
“NESTA is very pleased to see MDC’s software be made available to the consumermarket. It is the fruit of many years’ research and development on their part. Products such as this are proof of the many new applications that can found when innovative thinking is applied to existing ideas.”

The software is available for download on MDC’s website at www.metropolis-data.co.uk

Reader feedback:

Discuss this story:

MDC launches a new, easy-to-use plug-in for imaging software

DPNow MDC launches a new, easy-to-use plug-in for imaging software
Metropolis Data Consultants (MDC) is launching a new, easy-to-use plug-in forimaging software that w... (more)

jtfrazer Re: MDC launches a new, easy-to-use plug-in for imaging software
Ian, The link given in this article should be ... (more)

Julia Re: MDC launches a new, easy-to-use plug-in for imaging software
Thanks Jim, Amendment has been made. Julia... (more)