Removal of Glare Caused by Water Droplets

Removal of view disturbing noise from an image obtained with a camera under adverse weather conditions is important. In this paper, we present a method of removing glare caused by water droplets, or other foreign objects, adhering to an imaging lens or its protective glass. We have designed and implemented an electronically controlled optical shutter array that detects and removes glare. Our system can easily be used with unmodified, commercially available digital cameras and lenses. We also present the possibility of applying this technique for the removal of general glare caused by the imaging lens itself.