Departmental Seminar: "Our eyes are not video cameras: why it matters for computer vision" by Dr Alex Marcireau
| Dates: | 3 June 2026 |
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| Times: | 14:00 - 15:00 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | Department of Computer Science |
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| How much: | Free |
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| Who is it for: | University staff, Current University students |
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| Speaker: | Dr Alex Marcireau |
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Modern video cameras still operate on a principle that can be traced back to the 19th century: capturing and playing back images at fixed time intervals tricks the eye into perceiving motion. This sampling strategy shapes not only our cameras but our monitors and computer vision algorithms. It has proven to be very versatile, especially since the advent of deep learning and convolutional neural networks. However, it remains markedly more power hungry than biological eyes, which, despite coming in a wide variety of shapes and sizes across the animal kingdom, never sample images at fixed intervals.
Neuromorphic cameras challenge the status quo by implementing a different sampling strategy inspired by biological systems. Their pixels generate asynchronous events to report sudden light changes rather than capture images. This talk will look at the history of neuromorphic sensors, explain their working principle, and describe current and future applications of the technology to engineering problems.
Speaker
Dr Alex Marcireau
Role: lecturer in Neuromorphic Systems
Organisation: University of Manchester
Biography: Dr Alexandre Marcireau received a Master of Engineering degree from École Centrale Paris in 2015, with a specialisation in computer science. His Master's Thesis discussed neuromorphic cameras and their applications to biological experiments. He completed his Ph.D. at the Vision Institute, Sorbonne Université, under the supervision of Prof. Ryad B. Benosman. His thesis focused on hybrid neuromorphic architectures, with contributions to event-based colour sensing and processing, high-speed psychophysics, and the Brainbow method. During his postdoctoral research fellowship at Western Sydney University from 2019 to 2025, he explored the application of neuromorphic engineering to space technologies. His current research focuses on neuromorphic sensors, space payloads, and software to democratise the use of neuromorphic systems.
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
Kilburn_TH 1.3
Kilburn Building
Manchester
