RIOTU Lab Researchers Awarded Copyright for Smart Nighttime Image-Enhancement System

Researchers from Prince Sultan University’s Robotics and Internet-of-Things Lab (RIOTU) have achieved a new milestone by securing a copyright from the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) for their innovative solution in nighttime image enhancement.

The copyright, titled Dynamic Light Enhancement via Dual Branches for Night Photography (DLENet), was developed by Eng. Hamad Aloqayli, Prof. Wadii Boulila, Eng. Anas M. Ali, and Dr. Bilel Benjdira. DLENet is designed to make night photos brighter, clearer, and more natural by tackling challenges such as darkness, noise, distorted colors, and lost shadow details.

The system employs a dual-branch deep learning design built on an encoder–decoder backbone. One branch restores brightness and color, while the other refines edges, textures, and noise removal. An attention-based fusion module combines the outputs, producing images that are both clean and natural, resulting in high-quality images that rival daytime photography.

The potential applications of this technology are vast. Beyond photography, DLENet can significantly improve:
- Urban planning and surveillance through clearer nighttime visuals
- AI accuracy in analyzing satellite and aerial data
- Traffic monitoring and border control with enhanced radar and security footage
- Environmental studies, including wildlife tracking and crop monitoring

By delivering sharper, more reliable images, the system enables faster and more precise decision-making across multiple domains.

This achievement not only showcases the innovative capacity of Prince Sultan University researchers but also highlights Saudi Arabia’s growing contributions to AI-powered imaging technologies with global impact. Importantly, this copyright registration was made possible thanks to the efforts of the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office (IP&TTO), which was responsible for filing the request with SAIP.