Michael J. Fitzpatrick Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Photonics
David Brady leads the Duke Information Spaces Project (DISP). Historically, DISP has focused on computational imaging systems, with particular emphasis on smart cameras for security, consumer, transportation and broadcast applications. Currently DISP focuses primarily on the use of artificial intelligence in camera arrays for interactive broadcasting.
Appointments and Affiliations
- Michael J. Fitzpatrick Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Photonics
- Professor Emeritus in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Bass Fellow
Contact Information
- Office Location: Box 90291, Durham, NC 27708
- Email Address: david.brady@duke.edu
- Websites:
Education
- B.A. Macalester College, 1984
- M.S. California Institute of Technology, 1986
- Ph.D. California Institute of Technology, 1990
Research Interests
Professor Brady's research focuses on "smart cameras" which use artificial intelligence to increase the amount of visual information captured and to render this information useful. In 2012 his group built the world's first gigapixel camera, his work today focuses on making gigapixel media and interactive virtual reality broadcasting ubiquitous.
Awards, Honors, and Distinctions
- Dennis Gabor Award. International Society for Optics and Photonics. 2013
- Fellows. Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 2009
- Fellow. International Society for Optics and Photonics. 2007
- Fellows. Optical Society of America. 2004
- Fellowships for Science and Engineering. David and Lucile Packard Foundation. 1990
In the News
- New Duke Kunshan Lab to Develop the Next Generation of Gigapixel Cameras (Jan 2…
- Duke Days in China Features Research Presentations by Faculty (Oct 21, 2015)
- Engineers Unlock Remarkable 3D Vision from Ordinary Digital Camera Technology (…
- Engineers unlock remarkable 3-D vision from ordinary digital camera technology …
- Gigapixel camera could help clinicians catch signs of melanoma earlier (Oct 28,…
- Class of 2014! Tag Yourself (May 11, 2014 | Duke Today)
- Duke technology could yield quicker airport security checks (Nov 7, 2013 | WUNC…
- Duke University unveils airport safety research (Nov 7, 2013 | News 14)
- Duke Camera Captures America's Cup Races in Panoramic Photos (Oct 8, 2013 | Duk…
Representative Publications
- Wang, Ruihai, Qianhao Zhao, Tianbo Wang, Mitchell Modarelli, Peter Vouras, Zikun Ma, Zhixuan Hong, Kazunori Hoshino, David Brady, and Guoan Zheng. “Multiscale aperture synthesis imager.” Nature Communications 16, no. 1 (November 2025): 10582. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65661-8.
- Brady, D. J. “Divide and conquer: parallel processing in computational imaging.” Advanced Photonics 7, no. 5 (September 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.AP.7.5.050502.
- Nero, Gregory, Xiao Wang, Andre Van Rynbach, and David Brady. “Design and implementation of a snapshot ptychographic wavefront camera array.” Optics Express 33, no. 14 (July 2025): 30047–59. https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.564809.
- Fröch, J. E., S. Colburn, D. J. Brady, F. Heide, A. Veeraraghavan, and A. Majumdar. “Computational imaging with meta-optics.” Optica 12, no. 6 (June 20, 2025): 774–88. https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.546382.
- Brady, David J., Shengtai Zhu, and Zhipeng Dong. “Interferometric focal planes.” Optics Express 33, no. 10 (May 2025): 21634–49. https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.561202.