New camera tech can see 28 miles away, through smog and more

A new camera has been designed by researchers using photodetectors, something that is so advanced it can see up to 28 miles away (45km) as long as it is placed high enough off the ground as it will be capturing photos across Earth's curvature).

The new camera technology has been created by researchers out of the University of Science and Technology of China in Shanghai that is capable of snapping a photo some 28 miles away in a smog-filled urban environment. Technology Review reports that their technique "uses single-photon detectors combined with a unique computational imaging algorithm that achieves super-high-resolution images by knitting together the sparsest of data points".

Zheng-Ping Li and his team made the low-cost, compact camera technology that blends the worlds of laser imaging technologies and AI, with Lidar-based imaging technology capable of shooting photos 10 miles away by bouncing a laser on the subject, this new technology takes it to the next level. Whereas previous camera technology was limited to 2D images at up to 10 miles away, the new camera snaps 3D images at a record-breaking 28 miles away.

MIT Technology Review says that the scientists believe the technology can be used for "remote sensing, airborne surveillance, and target recognition and identification". Yeah, you aren't safe anywhere, buddy -- you'll be seen everywhere with this new technology as I'm sure it's rolled out across the world in various countries.