Project description
Metalenses-based privacy-protecting security cameras
With over 1 billion surveillance cameras in use worldwide, concerns about privacy and freedom have emerged. Regulators and civil rights groups are particularly worried about the role of AI in monitoring and tracking. The ERC-funded MetaCam project aims to develop a camera system that captures only the essential details for pose estimation, while excluding identifying information, thus addressing privacy concerns more effectively than current methods, which often rely on clear recordings or bulky optics. The project will create optimised optical devices called metalenses for precise light control. It will design and fabricate these metalenses and generate a camera prototype to demonstrate its secure, privacy-preserving capabilities. Additionally, the project will assess business potential and identify the stakeholders needed to move from proof-of-concept to a market-ready product.
Objective
Surveillance cameras are widely used by governments, businesses, and ordinary citizens to monitor private and public areas to deter crime and identify offenders. As of 2021, it was estimated that there are over 1 billion surveillance cameras worldwide.
However, there are great concerns that continuous monitoring severely restricts people's privacy and freedom of movement. There have been reports of abuse of surveillance footage
including by businesses and government institutions. Regulators, civil rights groups and citizens are thus rightly concerned about infringements on freedoms of speech and association, especially in this era of AI when monitoring, tracking, and profiling techniques have been made easier, cheaper and more accurate.
An initial step in video scene analysis is pose estimation which enables monitoring the flux of people and detecting criminal actions or intent. Considering the privacy concerns of continuously recording citizens and automated image analysis, this project intends to develop a novel camera system that captures just enough detail required for pose estimation but excludes identifying information. Existing software methods of deidentifying videos require a clear video to be taken first, and so do not entirely solve this problem. Proposed experimental hardware methods that avoid this issue using lenses have bulky optics and a limited set of parameters.
With MetaCam we will implement the optimized optical devices (metalenses) that allow ultimate control of all the light degrees of freedom. In this project, we will design and fabricate the metalenses and build an optical table prototype of the camera to demonstrate its secure privacy-preserving performance. Supported by business developers we will examine the
business potential, and map and engage the stakeholders later required to get from a proof- of- concept to a market-ready product.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors optical sensors
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
16163 Genova
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.