New Chinese camera can see round corners
Being able to photograph and "see" objects that are out of sight have both military and civilian applications.
Key takeaways
- Like traditional cameras, the new experimental shooter records light, but unlike most, the camera can capture reflected light and make out an object that’s around the corner.
- The camera doesn’t need a direct line of sight to the object, as long as it is facing light that is bouncing off of it.
- On a serious note though this new discovery could have applications in the transportation industry, to help give autonomous vehicles greater awareness of their surroundings, military and consumer applications.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'New Chinese camera can see round corners', 311 Institute, 28 January. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/new-chinese-camera-can-see-round-corners/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
In an age dominated by megapixel counts, a research group from Xi’an Jiaotong University in China led by Bin Bai have designed a one megapixel camera that can photograph objects that aren’t in its direct line of sight, and that can even take photos round corners. Like traditional cameras, the new experimental shooter records light, but unlike most, the camera can capture reflected light and make out an object that’s around the corner.
The camera doesn’t need a direct line of sight to the object, as long as it is facing light that is bouncing off of it.
Light, although more accurately, photons, naturally bounce off every object all the time and it’s a cameras job to capture them all, however, that said, while the photos that hit an object bounce off it, just as they bounce of any object, the likelihood of those individual photons travelling and hitting the back of the camera’s CMOS sensor is tiny. And even if those individual photons did hit the sensor then because there are so few of them the sensors sensitivity means that it can’t piece enough of them together to form an image. This is what the Chinese team, as well as a team from MIT last year, albeit using lasers, have managed to achieve, reconstructing photos of objects from only a small number of photons.
In the Chinese case their new one megapixel camera takes over 50,000 “photos” and stitches them all together to create a single hi-definition photo and while the team were quiet on how long the process takes it’s likely it takes a long time to take and stitch all 50,000 photos together and that also means it probably can’t take photos of moving objects.
So who knows, one day your next HTC or iPhone might let you take photos you never thought possible, and for those of you who have relatives who love taking photos of themselves in front of walls, well, aren’t you lucky, soon their photos will include walls around the corner too. On a serious note though this new discovery could have applications in the transportation industry, to help give autonomous vehicles greater awareness of their surroundings, military and consumer applications.
What this means for your organisation
Vehicles could see hidden hazards.
Autonomous vehicles need to know what is around a bend or behind a wall. Rebuilding images from reflected light could give them that view. Carmakers should watch for faster versions.
Speed is the limit today.
Stitching thousands of shots takes time, so moving objects are hard to capture. Better sensors and processing will close the gap. Treat this as an emerging capability.
Privacy faces a new test.
If cameras can see out of sight, walls no longer guarantee privacy. Security and defence uses will raise oversight questions. Prepare policies before the technology matures.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Where would seeing around corners improve safety in our operations?
- How would hidden-object imaging affect our privacy commitments?
- Which suppliers are developing this kind of sensing?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Being able to photograph and "see" objects that are out of sight have both military and civilian applications.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- Xi’an Jiaotong University en.xjtu.edu.cn
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 28 January 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). New Chinese camera can see round corners. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/new-chinese-camera-can-see-round-corners/
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