Belgian's imaging techniques to 'repair' old Chinese art

Belgian mathematician Ingrid Daubechies, best known for her work with wavelets in image compression, said she plans to use her technique to restore the original appearance of old Chinese paintings.

Using her methods for analyzing images, her team is able to recapture the look of old paintings without physically touching them, Daubechies said in Shanghai on Sunday.

"Another way to apply our technique is to reveal a hidden painting underneath one painting without removing the one on top, which may also bring new insights into traditional Chinese painting," Daubechies said after receiving the Fudan-Zhongzhi Science Award.