It fathom insane , but DARPA recently laid down a challenge to data processor scientist : influence out how to reconstruct shredded varlet of newspaper . The win team has finished — two days ahead of schedule .
Thecompetition was launched at the end of October , and the idea was to evolve software capable of piece together text file that had been passed through a shredder , reportsNew Scientist . To essay they ’d completed the labor , participants were require to provide the solvent to puzzles embed in the content of the reconstructed document .
The come through squad , called “ All Your tittle Are Belong To U.S. ” , complete the task on December 2 , 2011 , and walk away with a $ 50,000 prize in the cognitive process . The team comprised three programmers found in San Francisco : Otavio Good , creator of the optic translation puppet Word Lens , Luke Alonso , a mobile phone software developer , and Keith Walker , who works on satellite software program at Lockheed Martin . Seems they ’re quite good .
Though there is n’t much information available about the tools they used to work the problems , it is known that their winning algorithm automatically set up together matching scraps found on factors like the shape of the rip or the marks on the newspaper . There was an element of human interference demand , too , and solution were essay out by hired man some of the time .
Does this all mean that shredding document is a complete barren of sentence , then ? Not accord to Otavio Good , from the team , who told New Scientist :
“ The challenges that DARPA give us were actually round-eyed compared to if you have a bin full of heaps of shredded pieces of paper . Reconstructing these papers was not easy at all . I do n’t think you have much to worry about with your chopped documents . ”
So , all those paranoid folks who shred anything with their name on may as well keep at it for now . [ New Scientist ; Image : iowa_spirit_walker ]
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