Video Inpainting Software Deletes People From HD Video Footage

cylonlover writes "In a development sure to send conspiracy theorists into a tizzy, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics (MPII) have developed video inpainting software that can effectively delete people or objects from high-definition footage. The software analyzes each video frame and calculates what pixels should replace a moving area that has been marked for removal. In a world first, the software can compensate for multiple people overlapped by the unwanted element, even if they are walking towards (or away from) the camera."

Re:Conspiracy Theorists?

[DKlineburg]

You got that wrong. Now they will say see, we told you this existed. But if this is what they are willing to show us, think how more powerful the government version is that they won't show us? They can remove you from one video walking down the street, and put you in the same scene last week (ATM time stamp) robbing someone!

I thought what I'd do was...

[Gordonjcp]

... I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes.

Re:so, an end to surveillance cameras?

[geekmux]

If we extrapolate this, perhaps we won't be able to trust video as evidence any longer, so there's no reason to have all these surveillance cameras around.

The corrupt legal system will never allow that amount of common sense to creep in.

And we're slowly being made irrelevant to do anything about it.

Re:Conspiracy Theorists?

[moeinvt]

Not sure if you're making fun of conspiracy theorists or making fun of people who call others conspiracy theorists?

What you describe was put into law by the 2012 NDAA. There isn't even a "judge" required.

Government says: "You're a terrorist!" The evidence is secret so you have no right to examine or challenge it. You have no right to legal counsel, no right to ever see a judge or jury, and it's off to prison you go for as long as the government says. Or maybe they just kill you, which they also claim the power to do.

Re:Summary Fail

[Anonymous Coward]

That being said, it's my experience that older, manual methods, usually work better.

Yes, but how fast can you manually remove someone from 30 seconds of video? You're talking about manually touching up over 700 pictures. How many can you do in a day? This software would probably do that 30 seconds in 30 seconds.