Science

Israeli scientists find way to see through frosted glass

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The Weizmann technique de-scatters light and makes frosted glass transparent
Schematic of the Weizmann de-scattering technique
Results of de-scattering
Seeing around corners with de-scattering
The Weizmann technique de-scatters light and makes frosted glass transparent
View gallery - 4 images

Taking a shower while secure in the knowledge that no one can see through the curtains may soon be a thing of the past. Researchers Ori Katz, Eran Small and Yaron Silberberg of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, have developed a method for de-scattering light to form coherent images in real time. In other words, they have found a way to look through shower curtains, frosted glass and other image-blurring materials. The technique may one day aid scientists in seeing through living tissue or around corners.

Frosted glass, tissue and other materials aren’t opaque, but we can’t see through them because they scatter light so that that any image seen through them is hopelessly blurred. An ordinary lens isn’t any good because it just magnifies and focuses a blurry image that stays blurry. What’s needed is a way of de-scattering the light, which the Weizmann team achieves through the use of “wavefront shaping” technology. This allows them to not only re-create blurry images, but do so in three dimensions and in real time.

Schematic of the Weizmann de-scattering technique

The technique involves taking the scattered light and passing it through a Spatial Light Modulator (SPL). This is may sound daunting, but an SPL is a common device found in overhead projectors for showing computer images. It works by modulating the phase and intensity of light. In wavefront shaping, the SPL takes the frosted glass or other light-scattering medium and uses the modulation to change it into a light-scattering lens with a known focal length. That is, instead of having one big fuzzy image, you get a lot of little focused fuzzy images. These little images interfere with one another to produce a “memory effect” that recreates the original image. This is then passed through a bandpass filter that removes unwanted optical wavelengths and enhances the image, which a lens can then focus.

This technology can not only make shower curtains transparent, it can also recreate in real time images reflected off of walls that would otherwise be invisible, so it can effectively “see” around corners.

Results of de-scattering

The practical applications for this real-life x-ray vision are considerable. In aviation, the military and firefighting it can be used to see through fog and smoke. Doctors can use it to see through tissues, which is especially important for microscopy. Also, astronomers would benefit because de-scattering images would counteract the problems of trying to see clearly through atmospheric turbulence.

The downside of this technology is that it also works on frosted-glass bathroom windows and shower curtains. If it becomes generally available, expect to see a jump in sales for opaque shower curtains and bathroom window blinds.

Source: Weizmann Institute of Science / Nature Photonics (PDF) via Co.Design

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7 comments
mooseman
Heh. I remember seeing another way of making bathroom windows transparent (this was on a science program many years ago). I haven't tried this, but anyway..... You get some golden syrup and some waxed paper. Smear the golden syrup onto the window and then put the waxed paper up against the smeared part. Voila - transparent window (apparently).
Halfdead
It was NOVA scienceNow and it was honey and a piece of glass.
But anything similar will do just fine to be honest.
999 HOT
If you could reliably see the sky and the location of stars with the right system, you could probably determine your location without relying on satellites. Possible?
Synchro
What a waste! I can think of far better things to do with golden syrup in a shower, especially with an assistant. :)
Victor Engel
The honey/syrup idea is just silly. The textured surface is generally on the inside. If you're on the inside already, then the pane is not even in your line of sight.
limbodog
Available for creepy photographers in 3.. 2..
ralph.dratman
This article explains nothing about the technique. A scattering medium changes the angle of each light ray passing through the medium. The rearrangement can only be reversed if you know the rule by which each ray has been redirected.
If, by some chance, you had access to the scattering device in advance, and could make a lot of images of it using variously-placed point sources, then this trick might be possible. Otherwise, no, I don't think so.