The camera has been in development for some time now at Stanford University under the reins of professor Marc Levoy. The camera has gotten it's name, believe it or not, from the concept of Frankenstein. It is essentially a conglomeration of off the shelf parts of other electronic devices. The motherboard is that of a Texas Instruments "system on a chip" that is running the Linux operating system. The imaging chip is from a Nokia N95 cell phone, the body is custom built at Stanford, and the lenses are off the shelf Canon lenses.
What is great about the Frankencamera is its capabilities. One of the most interesting ideas is allowing the camera to communication with computers on a network. This would allow the camera to analyze a picture that you are about to take and search an online photo hosting site for similar images. Then, the camera will replicate the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO sensitivity of the image it has found online and utilize them in the picture you are about to take.
Another more, practical use is by extending the camera's dynamic range. This would allow the camera to do something that is currently only done in post production. The idea of high dynamic range is that you take a picture at several different exposures and then combining them into one optimal exposure. With Frankencamera you would be able to do this instantly and give users an exposure that is optimally lit throughout the frame. This feature, as well as some other information about Frankencamera can be seen in the video below.
The greatest feat of Frankencamera is its ability to create something never thought of before. Because Frankencamera is open-source, anyone can create new software to push the camera to its maximum capabilities. This is allowing the photographer to become more and more involved in the way his camera works, and the types of images it can produce. I look forward to further development of this product and I am excited for the future of photography.
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