The LiDAR sensor in the iPhone and iPad Pro is used to enhance photography, but also to create depth maps of our surroundings. Now a study from the University of Singapore claims that hidden cameras can be detected with iPhone LiDAR and other smartphones. The system created by the researchers should land on the App Store in the form of an app.
Discover hidden cameras with iPhone LiDAR
Find hidden cameras in Airbnb listings it’s not weird. In fact, it is so prevalent that there is a market for devices that can detect them, especially in Asia. Perhaps this is why a group of researchers from Singapore is responsible for creating a system for detecting hidden cameras with a smartphone.
The system created, called LAPD, detects suspicious reflections in everyday objects. For it, combines variables such as distance, intensity or depth, by applying a deep learning filter that collectively detects a hidden camera. In the words of the researchers:
We offer LAPD, a new hidden camera detection system that uses ToF sensors in smartphones. We created LAPD as a smartphone app that emits laser signals from the ToF sensor and uses computer vision and machine learning to locate reflections from hidden cameras.
The reliability of this system in the experiments is 88.9%, against 16.7% false positives. Professional hidden camera detectors like the K18 get 62.3% positives and 26.9% false positives. The advantage of the LAPD system is clear.
Currently, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPad Pro 2020, and iPad Pro 2021 are the Apple devices with LiDAR sensor. Now it only remains for researchers or any other developer use this knowledge to create an application commercial.