Methods and systems are described for new paradigms for user interaction with an unmanned aerial vehicle (referred to as a flying digital assistant or FDA) using a portable multifunction device (PMD) such as smart phone. In some embodiments, a user may control image capture from an FDA by adjusting the position and orientation of a PMD. In other embodiments, a user may input a touch gesture via a touch display of a PMD that corresponds with a flight path to be autonomously flown by the FDA.

Methods and systems are described for new paradigms for user interaction with an unmanned aerial vehicle (referred to as a flying digital assistant or FDA) using a portable multifunction device (PMD) such as smart phone. In some embodiments, a user may control image capture from an FDA by adjusting the position and orientation of a PMD. In other embodiments, a user may input a touch gesture via a touch display of a PMD that corresponds with a flight path to be autonomously flown by the FDA.

The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus, an imaging method, and a program that enable operation in which a display unit is brought into a turn-off state when a predetermined time elapses after start of capturing a moving image, a command from a remote commander is accepted and executed, and the captured moving image is output to an external apparatus. In a case where a manipulation unit that outputs a command depending on content of a user manipulation is manipulated and a command causing a moving image to be recorded on a recording medium is output, recording of the moving image is started and the display unit is controlled to a turn-off state in which an image is not displayed. The present disclosure can be applied to an imaging apparatus.

The invention describes an infrared imaging assembly (1) for capturing an infrared image (M0, M1) of a scene (S), comprising an infrared-sensitive image sensor (14); an irradiator (10) comprising an array of individually addressable infrared-emitting LEDs, wherein each infrared-emitting LED is arranged to illuminate a scene region (S1, . . . , S9); a driver (11) configured to actuate the infrared irradiator (10) by applying a switching pulse train (T1, . . . , T9) to each infrared-emitting LED; an image analysis module (13) configured to analyse a preliminary infrared image (M0) to determine the required exposure levels (130) for each of a plurality of image regions (R1, . . . , R9); and a pulse train adjusting unit (12) configured to adjust the duration (L1, . . . , L9) of a switching pulse train (T1, . . . , T9) according to the required exposure levels (130). The invention also described a method of generating a depth map (D) for a scene (S); a depth map generator comprising an embodiment of the inventive infrared imaging assembly (1); and a camera comprising such a depth map generator (2).

A method for planning sample points for surveying and mapping is disclosed, which includes: acquiring a reference photographing location point corresponding to a region to be surveyed and mapped, and establishing a mapping relation between one shooting point in a combined shooting point set and the reference photographing location point; determining a plurality of auxiliary photographing location points corresponding to the reference photographing location point based on the mapping relation preset relative positional relations between the shooting points in the combined shooting point set; and using the reference photographing location point and the plurality of auxiliary photographing location points as sample points for surveying and mapping based on which an unmanned aerial vehicle for surveying and mapping performs surveying and mapping in the region to be surveyed and mapped. An apparatus for planning sample points for surveying and mapping, a control terminal, and a storage medium are also disclosed.

A system and method for exploiting spectral absorption properties of water is disclosed. The system and method use spectral absorption properties of water to improve Short Wave InfraRed (SWIR) sensor (camera) performance in the presence of clouds. This is achieved partly by limiting the spectral passband of a sensor to a water absorption band, thereby improving Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). Higher SNR permits improved CSO resolution. Further, higher SNR reduces the uncertainty in matching observations in one sensor to the epipolar lines of another sensor thus reducing the time needed to achieve unambiguous matches.

A three-dimensional (3D) imaging system includes a mobile device that has a display screen configured to display a series of patterns onto an object that is to be imaged. The mobile device also includes a front-facing camera configured to capture reflections of the series of patterns off of the object. The system also includes a controller that is configured to control a timing of the series of patterns that appear on the display screen and activation of the front-facing camera in relation to the appearance of the series of patterns.

A three-plate camera includes an IR prism that causes an IR image sensor to receive incident IR light of light from an observation part, a visible prism that causes a visible image sensor to receive incident visible light of light from the observation part, a specific prism that causes a specific image sensor to receive incident light of a specific wavelength band of light from the observation part, and a video signal processing unit that generates an IR video signal, a visible video signal, and a specific video signal of the observation part based on respective imaging outputs of the IR image sensor, the visible image sensor, and the specific image sensor, combines the IR video signal, the visible video signal, and the specific video signal, and outputs a combined video signal to a monitor.

A panoramic camera is provided with an orientation sensor to record orientation along with a panoramic image. The display or print image is selected from the captured panoramic image, a warped, non-scale-correct image. The selection of the display image is done using the orientation sensor. The orientation sensor data can be recorded with the panoramic image as metadata. The orientation sensor can also be used to control an external display and/or panoramic image selection during browsing.

A monitoring system for monitoring a process includes a housing with a viewing panel. The viewing panel includes a view port. An emitter generates light and illuminates an observation zone of the process. A detector is disposed within the housing and is configured to detect light entering the housing through the view port and create a plurality of images of the process in the observation zone. A thermal regulation system is configured to generate heat in the vicinity of the viewing panel of the housing so as to increase the temperature of at least the view port above ambient temperature.