Photography

Aurga uses AI to run your camera

Aurga uses AI to run your camera
Aurga works with Nikon and Canon cameras, along with iOS and Android mobile devices
Aurga works with Nikon and Canon cameras, along with iOS and Android mobile devices
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The Aurga app can be used for full manual control of the camera, to trigger the shutter remotely, and to get HDR (High Dynamic Range) shots
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The Aurga app can be used for full manual control of the camera, to trigger the shutter remotely, and to get HDR (High Dynamic Range) shots
Aurga has a memory card slot for backing up photos, supporting up to 256GB
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Aurga has a memory card slot for backing up photos, supporting up to 256GB
Aurga works with Nikon and Canon cameras, along with iOS and Android mobile devices
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Aurga works with Nikon and Canon cameras, along with iOS and Android mobile devices
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Not everyone who owns a DSLR is a highly-skilled photographer, yet they do all want their photos to look good. Well, that's why Aurga was created. It's a plug-in module that uses artificial intelligence to adjust the camera's settings, based on a database of professionally-taken photographs.

Similar in concept to the successfully-crowdfunded Arsenal, Aurga slots into the camera's flash mount, and is wirelessly controlled from up to 100 ft (30 m) via an iOS/Android app. Utilizing that app, users can choose between six photo categories, based on the type of shot they're taking – these include things like Portrait, Landscape and Moving Object.

Once a category has been selected, Aurga searches through its database of thousands of photos, analyzing ones that fall into that same category. Taking the existing ambient lighting into account, it then adjusts the camera's settings, based on what was done in those other photos.

If the user is taking a portrait, for example, Aurga will open up the aperture to decrease the depth of field. Should they want light trails in their night-time shots, on the other hand, it will select a slow shutter speed.

The Aurga app can be used for full manual control of the camera, to trigger the shutter remotely, and to get HDR (High Dynamic Range) shots
The Aurga app can be used for full manual control of the camera, to trigger the shutter remotely, and to get HDR (High Dynamic Range) shots

The app can also be used for full manual control of the camera, to trigger the shutter remotely, and to get HDR (High Dynamic Range) shots – in the case of the latter, three identically-composed shots are taken at different exposures, and then merged into one composite photo.

Additionally, the module has a memory card slot for backing up photos, supporting up to 256GB. It should be noted, however, that Aurga only works with Nikon and Canon cameras. There's a list of compatible models at the link below.

Aurga is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, where a pledge of US$89 is required to get one. Assuming it reaches production, the retail price will be $130.

Source: Kickstarter

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1 comment
f8lee
To me this seems like a solution looking for a problem...those who use "real gear" for photography enjoy the process; making the decisions as to aperture and shutter speed, etc. - it's all part of the satisfaction one can take from learning and knowing their craft.
To automate the process of "creativity" flies in the face of this - why would anyone want to go through all the trouble of dealing with the additional gear rather than just taking their cell phone out? Generic auto-focus and auto-exposure is one thing (well, are two things), but surely there cannot be many people who would really want the system to determine which would be the "best" combination of ISO, shutter speed and aperture.
And will the next enhancement be to let the AI position the camera and select the focal length as well using motorized tripod heads? At that point, what's the point? For some self-described "artiste" to be able to tell her AI companion to "go out and take a nice sunrise shot with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground" and then take credit for what the robot produces?