WE MAY soon be able to see what is lurking out of sight, thanks to an algorithm that allows a camera to make out objects hidden from view. This might one day enable autonomous vehicles to spot hazards before they are visible.

The algorithm was created by Vivek Goyal at Boston University in Massachusetts and colleagues. It works by analysing the faint reflections of obscured objects on a surface such as a wall. Specialist equipment isn’t needed to gather the images of reflections – a normal digital camera suffices.

To test the system, an LCD monitor …