[Wear-Hard] Apparitions and Wearable Displays

[Tony Havelka]

Check out the Spectre:
http://www.tekgear.com/index.cfm?pageID=90&prodid=66&section=83&nodelist=1,83

If you get a TV remote control, you have an IR illuminator.

-Tony

tetsu yatsu wrote:
> 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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