AI-driven Image Restoration and Enhancement for Smartphone and Drone Cameras

Lead  Prof. ZHANG Lei

Department of Computing

Smartphones and drones are ubiquitous in daily life for capturing and sharing digital photos. Yet, their resource-limited imaging systems and imperfect lighting conditions bring challenges for high-quality photography, resulting in noisy, blurred and low-resolution images. Prof. Zhang Lei’s research in AI-driven imaging algorithms has produced a series of advanced image restoration and enhancement techniques.

Prof. Zhang’s research has benefited tens of millions of users worldwide. It has enhanced the performance of mass-produced mobile devices and the user experience. It has also generated competitive advantages for the industrial partners. In particular, the work contributed to 30+% and 70+% increases in sales for two flagship launches by a global smartphone manufacturer in 2024 and 2025, respectively. The world’s largest civil drone manufacturer has also integrated the technology into its major drone series cameras, including thermal models employed for fire and rescue operations where clearer imaging supports the identification of hotspots and victims.