Companies License NASA VISAR Technology

The Video Image Stabilization and Registration (VISAR) technology, used by the FBI and other law enforcement officials to help solve crime, has expanded its capabilities to the commercial sector. Intergraph Government Solutions and Barco Inc. Display Systems have signed separate licensing agreements with NASA for the use of VISAR technology. These two licenses are for exclusive use in Intergraph's and Barco's existing hardware systems.

VISAR improves the clarity of video footage by correcting distortion caused by adverse conditions. It stabilizes camera rotation and zoom effects; produces clearer images of moving objects; smoothes jagged edges; enhances still images and reduces video noise or "snow." After the footage has been corrected, it can be further enhanced through sharpening and deblurring techniques.

Intergraph Government Solutions of Huntsville, Ala. plans to install VISAR in its Video Analyst System, which features broadcast-quality video editing and enhancement. This product influences many markets including, security and law enforcement, medical imaging, film restoration and intelligence and surveillance/reconnaissance.

Barco Inc. Display Systems of Duluth, Ga. will incorporate VISAR into its new and existing computer hardware products, designed for real-time video image processing, tracking and enhancing.

VISAR is not only beneficial to existing hardware systems, but to the medical community as well. The inventors of VISAR are working with the Casey Eye Institute at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland through a NASA Space Act Agreement. Scientists at the institute are interested in using VISAR to enhance an innovative technique to study video of cell movements in the eye associated with immune diseases.

NASA's next venture is to license the VISAR to consumer software companies for the use in home computers.