Monday, November 17, 2008

2020 Vision Sighting of the Day

I found this story via a tweet by Jackie Ballarini:

A one-eyed San Francisco artist wants to replace her missing eye with a Web cam - and tech experts say it's possible.

. . . Mobile computing expert Roy Want told the Daily News the technology exists.

"It is possible to build a wireless camera with the dimensions of the eyeball," said Want, a senior principal engineer at Intel. "You can find spy cams or nanny cams designed to fit into inconspicuous places in the home."

Want said the camera, which would be encased in Vlach's prosthesis to avoid moisture, could link wirelessly to a smart phone.

The smart phone could send power to the camera wirelessly and relay the camera's video feed by cell phone network to another person, a TV studio or a computer.

In a world where eye cams are common, they might serve as a kind of computerized backup to people's memories, Want said.

"You'd never need to forget anything again," he said. "You'd never lose anything. You could ask it, 'Where was the last time I saw my keys?'"

Sounds like an early version of the EyeMagine to me . . .

6 comments:

  1. Some promotion here, but it's for the sake of 21st C students. Please take a look at The Global Challenge Award and recommend that high school students take a look and consider "doing it."

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  2. A meaningful approach to "art" but horrifying nevertheless. In other words, it's creepy, Karl. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. @Kristin - Why is it "horrifying?"

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  4. Just plain creepy is what came to mind for me too...but I didn’t want to appear unenlightened!

    It’s one thing to worry about students, or other random busybodies videotaping you with a cell phone, but how do you protect yourself from people with cameras embedded in various body parts ? ? ick

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  5. How fascinating! Something like this could make for a real reality show, which makes me wonder about all the mundane moments that are better kept private.

    Must be my middle school mind working here...

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  6. Can't we argue most new technology is creepy when it's new. Horrifying is a little strong in my opinion, but that's just me. But in time we, or at least most of us adapt. I remember when Toy Story first came out. It was creepy to me. They looked almost real, but not really real. Polar Express, 300, and Beowulf all use new animation technology to make things look semi-real in movies. Now, it's almost normal and expected.

    Furthermore, all technology has it's good sides and it's bad. This technology could be incredibly beneficial to visually impaired individuals.
    So can these technologies!
    If you haven't seen them yet, they have amazing potential, and a lot more creepiness.

    Exoskeleton Japan - increase work productivity
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynL8BCXih8U

    Exoskelton Isreal - assist paraplegic individuals walk
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9Bku_YZu3A

    Exoskelton US Army - guess- It's the US Army
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwaD5-GlHXg

    BrainGate - A quadriplegic controls a computer and robotic hand just by thinking about it! Amazing!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJJPbpHoPWo

    Think of the Pros and Cons here!
    Then what happens when we start integrating these technologies together?

    Karl - Thanks for all the work you have done and continue to do, and share, with the rest of the world. You've truly inspired me to think more about the possible future and just how much our actions (or lack there of) can effect the lives of our students in it and motivated me to continuously push for new and innovative utilizations of technology in our school.

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