Revolutionizing Time-Lapse Videos with Your Phone

When you think of time-lapse videos, you might imagine bulky equipment or a camera mounted on a tripod. But what if we told you that your smartphone could do the same magic? Imagine snapping photos every time you walk past your favorite tree on the way to work—no camera gear needed!

A pioneering group of researchers from Cornell University has developed groundbreaking software that transforms ordinary smartphones into powerful tools for capturing stunning time-lapse sequences. This innovation allows anyone to document subtle changes in their environment, whether it’s a buzzing construction site or the gradual shift of seasons.

Meet the Brains Behind 'Pocket Time-Lapse'!

Leading this charge is Abe Davis, an assistant professor at Cornell's Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science. His team will showcase their creation, dubbed "Pocket Time-Lapse," at the prestigious SIGGRAPH 2025 conference in Vancouver this August.

The first author on the paper, Eric Chen, a current doctoral student at MIT, teamed up with talented contributors like iga Kovaaq and Madhav Aggarwal, who are turning heads in the field.

Innovation Born from Lockdown Challenges

Davis started this innovative project during the pandemic lockdown of 2020. With traditional lab setups out of the question, he took his experimentation outdoors, snapping countless photos in his daily surroundings in Ithaca.

In just a few years, Davis collected over 50,000 images from various locations, including picturesque views from his apartment and nearby construction sites. These everyday snapshots laid the foundation for creating dynamic time-lapse videos.

The Technical Marvels Behind the Scenes

Davis collaborated with Ruyu Yan, now at Princeton University, and Eric Chen to devise techniques that align and visualize vast datasets. This innovative approach is believed to be the first of its kind to consolidate thousands of panoramic images into a cohesive time-lapse video.

Chen described their challenge: “We had to link high-quality alignments from non-sequential photos. This allows us to connect daytime images with those taken at night, using twilight shots as a bridge.”

Moreover, their technique, dubbed "time splatting," leverages the sun's position, GPS data, and weather conditions to accurately position shadows within the time-lapse, offering unparalleled control over lighting dynamics.

Transforming Perspectives, One Photo at a Time

Davis believes that Pocket Time-Lapse has vast potential applications beyond aesthetics, including in field sciences, construction monitoring, and healthcare observation.

He sums it up eloquently: "This tool offers a fresh perspective on the world around us. Many of my images come from places I frequent, yet I discovered intricate details I had never noticed until viewed as a time-lapse. It’s like having a new window into your environment!"