Image via YouTube
Tourists inevitably take similar photographs when capturing memories around the world, which is a sentiment at the heart of an intriguing project out of the University of Washington.
The following video (h/t Digg) was uploaded to YouTube by Ricardo Martin Brualla and shows various landmarks over a particular amount of time.
Now we have all seen plenty of amazing travel time-lapse videos by now. But what sets this awesome project apart is that none of these images started out as a means to show the passage of time.
Whether it's Lombard Street in San Francisco or a monument in Switzerland, each video is the byproduct of culling millions of images to create something new and entirely wonderful:
The University of Washington offers a bit more explanation at its website: "The approach is completely automated and leverages the vast quantity of photos available online. First, we cluster 86 million photos into landmarks and popular viewpoints. Then, we sort the photos by date and warp each photo onto a common viewpoint."
From there researchers manipulate lighting to create something seamless out of what would seem to layman as complete chaos.
It's heartwarming to think that so many have enjoyed similar experiences around the world. True, our own adventures are rare and feature myriad anecdotes and unforgettable moments.
However, the project hints at a world that is a bit smaller than the one we imagine. Thanks to gorgeous landscapes that demand the snap of a photo, we all get to enjoy an aging process that doesn't take planning or an excruciating recording process.
All it takes is millions of travel pictures and a remarkable turn of technology.
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