Hyperspectral color control alters viewers’ perception of clothing while worn

News Highlights:

• Deployment of hyperspectral color control technologies—including lighting simulation and light spectrum control—results from NTT’s photonics-based ICT R&D investment.

• Announcement represents a use case of IOWN, NTT’s proprietary, next-generation communications infrastructure comprised of three components: the All-Photonics Network, Digital Twin Computing and the Cognitive Foundation.

• NTT intends to continue technology’s refinement and future application considering applications across industries, including retail, cultural arts and entertainment.

NTT Corporation (NTT), in collaboration with IMAGICA GROUP Inc., deployed hyperspectral color control technology that enabled clothing colors and patterns to be altered live onstage at the SPRING/SUMMER 2024 Paris Collection hosted by ANREALAGE CO., LTD. on Sept. 26, 2023.

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NTT X IMAGICA Group - ANREALAGE Paris Collection 2024 (Photo: Business Wire)

The hyperspectral color control technology represents the deployment of a new user experience created by NTT’s Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN), a revolutionary communications infrastructure designed to enable a smarter world through the application of cutting-edge fields of study including photonics and advanced computing.

“Through the IOWN initiative, NTT aims to foundationally improve the way human beings across the globe interact with their world and with each other—from global computing infrastructure to stage productions,” said Takahiro Matsumoto, NTT research engineer. “We are proud to partner with the technologists at IMAGICA and the creatives at ANREALAGE to provide audiences a first-hand look at how next-generation information and communications technologies can profoundly change the way we perceive the world around us.”

Hyperspectral color control technology, which changes the appearance of colors and patterns of objects by lighting control, consists of two key components: lighting simulation technology and light spectrum control technology.

In the simulation technology, the spectral characteristics (such as which wavelengths of light are reflected, absorbed, and fluoresced) of an object’s surface are obtained from a hyperspectral image ^[1] and used to accurately reproduce the appearance of the object under various lighting environments. By searching for and reproducing the conditions under which an object’s color and pattern appear to change, it becomes possible to design lighting conditions according to a director's creative intention.

Meanwhile, the spectrum control technology combines multiple light sources based on the results of the lighting simulations to synthesize an optimal lighting spectrum. This enables the realization of metamerism, a phenomenon in which colors with different spectral reflections appear the same under a specific light source. Thus, through the use of this technology, a viewer’s perception of color and pattern can be altered under specific light and color conditions as well as through the control of the target color’s vividness.

This perception-altering technology was inspired by the ethological theory of Umwelt proposed by 19^th and 20^th century-biologist Jacob von Jüksschül, which states that each organism lives and acts as an agent of a species-specific perceptual world.

Going forward, NTT aims to improve the accuracy of lighting simulations and increase the variation of color control, with the aim of achieving even richer expression and presentation in the combined real-world and cyber space. It is considering the deployment of this technology in the retail industry, cultural arts and entertainment fields.

Index

[1] Hyperspectral Image: An image captured by spectroscopizing more color information (wavelength) than a normal digital camera (a camera that acquires color images). A single hyperspectral image consists of images corresponding to each color information and generally consists of dozens or more images. NTT is also developing hyperspectral imaging technology ^[2] that combines conventional digital cameras with metalenses and AI to acquire hyperspectral images and movies.

[2] Hyperspectral imaging technology: The world's first technology to realize hyperspectral image and video acquisition by combining metalens and AI with ordinary digital cameras—converging optical technology and AI to make "ordinary cameras" into "cameras that can see the nature of things" (Note: see press release from Oct. 24, 2022: https://group.ntt/en/newsrelease/2022/10/24/221024a.html

About NTT

NTT contributes to a sustainable society through the power of innovation. We are a leading global technology company providing services to consumers and business as a mobile operator, infrastructure, networks, applications, and consulting provider. Our offerings include digital business consulting, managed application services, workplace and cloud solutions, data center and edge computing, all supported by our deep global industry expertise. We are over $95B in revenue and 330,000 employees, with $3.6B in annual R&D investments. Our operations span across 80+ countries and regions, allowing us to serve clients in over 190 of them. We serve over 75% of Fortune Global 100 companies, thousands of other enterprise and government clients and millions of consumers.

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Together with @IMAGICAGROUP, @NTTPR and @ANREALAGE_ deployed hyperspectral color control technology to change clothing colors & patterns live on stage during #ParisFashionWeek. Find out how—and where you may see this tech next. #PFW #TechForGood