Neural radiance field technology is starting to show some incredible capabilities in turning 2D images and videos into 3D models, but University of Maryland researchers are taking things to another level, using nothing but eye reflections.
In a study now published on the pre-print server arXiv, the researchers demonstrate how they’re able to take multiple high-definition images of a person moving around a room, then zoom in to look at reflections in their corneas, flip them, remove color and detail the irises might be adding, treat them to remove the curved-mirror distortion, and use them to create 3D images.
These 3D models aren’t very high resolution; you can tell what the items are, but not in great detail – and the team had to use specific lighting to bring out the effect.