Apple acquires Spectral Edge: Machine learning technologies for photography
Acquired a small English company that uses machine learning technologies for computational photography.
Apple has completed the acquisition of an English startup that develops technologies in the field of smartphone photography. It is Spectral Edge, which makes use of machine learning technologies to ” make photos sharper and with more accurate colors “.
” Spectral Edge combines patented Image Fusion technology with Deep Learning to highlight more color, detail, and clarity in any image, ” explains the company. In a nutshell, Spectral Edge merges an infrared image with a standard photograph to improve the result of a photographic shot.
It is quite easy to imagine how Apple can implement Spectral Edge technology in the iPhone Camera application. It obviously goes beyond the field of computational photography, where automatic post-production plays a key role to make up for the intrinsic physical limits of an optical system (lenses and sensors) that has to deal with the small size of a smartphone.
Apple already uses these techniques in its latest products, with Smart HDR features or Deep Fusion technology at the basis of the mode for night shots.
Apple has not yet confirmed the acquisition, but Bloomberg cites various documents indicating that control of Spectral is now in Apple’s hands. Not only that: it seems that Apple’s lawyer, Peter Denwood, has been appointed director of Spectral, while other directors and managers have been dismissed. The value of the transaction is unknown.
The only elements available let us know that Spectral had managed to raise $5 million in funding.
