Another day, another app that edits photos and probably makes life easier for some of us out there. Or more interesting, you take your pick. Either or, this app is also effortless so it isn't like you will waste much energy trying it out if you happen to be curious about it.
What makes today’s app so cool is that it uses deep learning artificial intelligence to scan photos and then use its programmed intuition to “fill in the details” where color would be.
Called Colourise.sg, the website is based in Singapore and, as PetaPixel notes, is the definition of minimalist in terms of user interface.
This is probably because the project grew out of a hackathon sponsored by GovTech (Government Technology Agency of Singapore) and represents what a group of engineers could put together after collaboration.
It’s really quite impressive when you check it out (and put it to the test).
Colourise was also specifically developed to analyze historical photos of Singapore which means its machine learning is drawing from a different well than some of the other coloration apps out there like Algorithimia’s which uses the common ImageNet collection of 1.3 million photos.
What PetaPixel discovered in its range of photos that it tested was that the app isn’t bad when it comes to historical figures but it doesn’t do so well when an Ansel Adams landscape is thrown into the mix. That result looks like something out of Mordor and we’re not 100% certain but we’re pretty sure no landscape on Earth has ever had those colors.
Of course, don’t take our word for it – try it out yourself over at Colourise.sg.
My personal results were mixed. Mainly the app seems to struggle with lighting and skin tone but, overall, not bad really.
Let us know what you think in the comments.
