[Wear-Hard] Apparitions and Wearable Displays

[tetsu yatsu]

For a while now, I've been taking nightly 'mediated reality' strolls through
this large house I share with four like-wise 20-something roommates.  I've
lived here about a week, so it's still kind of new, and we don't know each
other very well.  I'm jokingly afraid of them coming to a sudden realization
that I am a nerd and flushing my head in a toilet or something.

Well tonight, in my humble lab/bedroom, I thought I'd go grab a cinnamin
bun, of which I have many.  That would be a lot more exciting with a
wearable display.  So I strapped it on, camera, Headplay, EeePC and all, had
some semi-transparent windows open for effect, and on my way.

I don't have an IR illiminator yet, so the room was still pitch black
without turning on a light. I stumbled my way down a tall staircase and
towards the kitchen, cautiously avoiding the wall I have to walk around to
get to my delicious pastries, and that contains my light switches. It's said
that with the Headplay, you may be blind immediately in front of you, but
you don't lose your wide-angle vision entirely, so even opaquely mediated, I
felt a sense a comfortable sense of normal reality.

I navigated to my cinnamin buns, grabbed the box, walked over to a counter.
Thought I'd roll a cigarette while I was down here, it's almost time for
bed. That was an interesting experience. Without the IR filter on the
camera, everything just looks so happy-go-lucky and pink/purple technicolor.
I eventually succeed and open the sliding glass door leading outside.

This is where I saw the first apparation. Across from our pool, there is a
screen, and behind that, many trees. I was proud to say I could see the
trees with my infrared CMOS webcam, and could not see them with my regular
vision. Finally, my product has a use. I can see trees. Pet some cats,
smoked my cigarette (the ember looked REALLY bright in infrared, by the
way!), and stood up to go inside.

With the light on outside, I could see my reflection in the sliding glass
door. I thought to myself, as I stand before me, head drooped slightly to
make the camera face forward, backpack straps in the middle of a calm night,
bright glowing green LED from the webcam I haven't taken off yet. I stood
there for maybe 30 seconds taking it in when I could have sworn I saw my
roommate, through the glass door, through my own reflection, beside the
staircase, walk out of the laundry room and back in.

This would only confirm my worst daydreams, right? In fear of looking
stupid, I took off the display/camera, turned off the lights, and receded
back to my room.


I've learned a good lesson today. It's very likely I might be
'hallucinating' while operating my wearable.  At least with a 640x480 CMOS
webcam in low light conditions through several reflections and a
non-transparent display. But I was pretty convinced my roommate was there.



[ Sorry if this story is unwelcome in the Wear-Hard list. I'm not currently
pursueing a graduate degree at Toronto University, so I don't have many
places to talk to people about wearables :). ]
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