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Zeiss's "Holocam" turns glass windows into cameras

digitalcameraworld.com

41–50 of 253 posts

Re: Zeiss's "Holocam" turns glass windows into cameras

#41
"Webcams that enable you to look anywhere on your screen."

Minor aside, but does anyone actually care about this? Forever ago, I was told to try and look into the camera in order to project eye contact during video calls, but now that just seems like a cultural hangup that arose from people not being familiar with video calling. Now that it is more ubiquitous, I feel like we all have collectively agreed that the eye contact thing is unnecessary?

Re: Zeiss's "Holocam" turns glass windows into cameras

#42
post #29

> This means that everything from the window in your car to the screen on your laptop to the glass on your front door can now possess an invisible image sensor. Retailers, marketers, and data brokers are salivating.

I can't wait until the windows in our homes plaster ads over everything every time we look outside. It'll sure be distracting when it's the windshields of our cars, but I do look forward to the legal drama when companies get sued for painting their "holographic" ads on top of the adspace other people already paid to pollute with their own advertisements.

how would an image sensor display ads?

Re: Zeiss's "Holocam" turns glass windows into cameras

#44

It's a reverse light guide. We've been beam forming for a long time, it's unsurprising that the reverse is possible (imaging through a light pipe). The principal issue will be gathering enough energy. A well lit source like a bathroom mirror (mirror behind the light guide) could work pretty well I'd wager. If the light guide is too efficient then it will appear opaque, so there is a trade-off. I find "turns any windo…

> Zeiss isn't going to aspire to sell cheap glass on razor thin margins. why not?

It's not what they do, like they probably won't start selling lawnmowers either.

Re: Zeiss's "Holocam" turns glass windows into cameras

#45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't wait until the windows in our homes plaster ads over everything every time we look outside. It'll sure be distracting when it's the windshields of our cars, but I do look forward to the legal drama when companies get sued for painting their "holographic" ads on top of the adspace other people already paid to pollute with their own advertisements.

how would an image sensor display ads?

> Holographic 3D content permits more design, branding, guidance and information functions. For example, side and rear windows can be used for eye-catching Car2X communications. It is also possible to black out window glass or make projected text and images visible only from the inside or outside. Video content is also supported. (https://www.zeiss.com/corporate/en/about-zeiss/present/newsr...)

Re: Zeiss's "Holocam" turns glass windows into cameras

#46
post #41

"Webcams that enable you to look anywhere on your screen." Minor aside, but does anyone actually care about this? Forever ago, I was told to try and look into the camera in order to project eye contact during video calls, but now that just seems like a cultural hangup that arose from people not being familiar with video calling. Now that it is more ubiquitous, I feel like we all have collectively agreed that the eye…

It's not just cultural. We've evolved to recognize eye-contact. Newborn babies immediately know when you look at them. Eye contact with a dog communicates dominance.

You've just acclimated to losing that signal during video chats. Bring it back, and you'll have a richer experience.

More generally, we have evolved special neural hardware to recognize gaze, with a special case for when gaze is directed at our eyes. Gaze is important because it's a sign of where people are attending. And as Herb Simon said: "in the information age, attention is the scarce resource."

Re: Zeiss's "Holocam" turns glass windows into cameras

#47
post #41

"Webcams that enable you to look anywhere on your screen." Minor aside, but does anyone actually care about this? Forever ago, I was told to try and look into the camera in order to project eye contact during video calls, but now that just seems like a cultural hangup that arose from people not being familiar with video calling. Now that it is more ubiquitous, I feel like we all have collectively agreed that the eye…

No, and I'm absolutely not willing to give up the mechanical camera shutter I have on my laptop for that feature. They could add a mechanical shutter to the hidden camera in the frame but why do all of this.

Edit: Should have said "mechanical lens cover" instead of "mechanical camera shutter"

Re: Zeiss's "Holocam" turns glass windows into cameras

#48
> Glass surfaces can also generate energy. The microoptical layer in the window pane absorbs incident sunlight and transmits it in concentrated form to a solar cell. This combines the advantages of conventional windows – natural light and an unrestricted view – with the additional benefit of efficient energy production.

This is pretty cool.

Re: Zeiss's "Holocam" turns glass windows into cameras

#49
post #15

The article is poorly written, as it only discusses the camera component. Strangely, they chose stock images of holographic and optical displays, but didn’t mention that even once. The Zeiss site is a much better read: https://www.zeiss.com/corporate/en/about-zeiss/present/newsr... In summary: 1) ZEISS unveils holographic Smart Glass at CES 2024, both for displays/projection/filtering, but also another component whic…

Edit: theres an actually good demo video showing the real state of the tech rather than mockups: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NORPeCcIXRQ buried below in the comments so just surfacing higher. everything else is artists lying to you.

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> Glass surfaces can also generate energy. The microoptical layer in the window pane absorbs incident sunlight and transmits it in concentrated form to a solar cell. This combines the advantages of conventional windows – natural light and an unrestricted view – with the additional benefit of efficient energy production.

what? holy shit?

Re: Zeiss's "Holocam" turns glass windows into cameras

#50

It's a reverse light guide. We've been beam forming for a long time, it's unsurprising that the reverse is possible (imaging through a light pipe). The principal issue will be gathering enough energy. A well lit source like a bathroom mirror (mirror behind the light guide) could work pretty well I'd wager. If the light guide is too efficient then it will appear opaque, so there is a trade-off. I find "turns any windo…

> Zeiss isn't going to aspire to sell cheap glass on razor thin margins. why not?

I assume if you’re on HN you work in tech.

As a side hustle, why don’t you start building and selling desktop PC’s to local businesses, competing with HP, Dell, etc on margin? That’s also tech, right?

While building cheap PCs at razor thin margins is adjacent to whatever your tech job is, and probably something you’re able to do, it probably wouldn’t be the most profitable use of your time

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