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Zeiss's "Holocam" turns glass windows into cameras

digitalcameraworld.com

81–90 of 253 posts

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

#81
post #76

Yeah it sounds like a great option to place a camera invisibly in the middle top half of your screen so you can actually look a person in the eye when videoconferencing. No more weirdly looking down or to the side for everyone. I'm sure it can be used for creepiness as well but I see the benefits too.

iPhones solve the camera angle by changing the position of the pupil in software instead.

Are you sure? I remember that being present briefly in a beta several years ago, but then it was removed. I don't remember it ever coming back.

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

#82

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…

> 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).

Beamforming in RF frequencies is old, beamforming at optical wavelengths is pretty new shit. Doing the reverse, that is receiving a signal, is brand spanking new fresh out the cow hot shit at any frequency.

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

#83
post #27
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…

> ESA and NASA space missions have carried this trailblazing ZEISS technology on board for many years. It is also well established in the semiconductor and medical technology sectors. Huh. Seems like it should be fairly easy to find info on then... though some googling around makes me think they might just be referring to their more general diffraction gratings and whatnot.

Zeiss multifunctional smart glass

Product page: https://www.zeiss.com/oem-solutions/products-solutions/multi...

NASA/ESA mention: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/zeiss_automotive-augmentedrea...

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

#84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whilst I kind of see where you and the sibling comment is coming from, Zeiss do make glass- they make precision glass. Making cheap glass would be quality diversification, which is not exactly unheard of.

I doubt Zeiss makes their own glass. Most optics companies outsource that to one of the big glass fabs: Schott, Ohara, CDGM.

Zeiss and Schott are both owned by the Carl Zeiss foundation; the origin story is somewhat covered by Material World by Ed Conway. It's a fantastic book and well worth a read.

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

#85
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

iPhones solve the camera angle by changing the position of the pupil in software instead.

Are you sure? I remember that being present briefly in a beta several years ago, but then it was removed. I don't remember it ever coming back.

Some searching says it was trialed in iOS 13 betas, but didn't make it into the final cut. It was released with iOS 14 though.

https://ios.gadgethacks.com/how-to/disable-facetimes-creepy-...

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

#86
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whilst I kind of see where you and the sibling comment is coming from, Zeiss do make glass- they make precision glass. Making cheap glass would be quality diversification, which is not exactly unheard of.

It sounds reasonable, but if they diversified quality, it would mean making precision glass and then also somewhat less precise glass. They will not start mass producing large panes of low margin glass. It's not what they're good at and it's not a lucrative market. Like Intel isn't going to start making jellybean parts. They could license their name to some existing glass company, but they still wouldn't really be th…

I don't disagree with you, but the way the GP comment made a joke of the idea was unfair IMHO.

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

#87
post #16

Pretty cool and hella alarming lol. Next someone will tell me they have a way to “ssh” into the universe and get process details on every entity in it including every human and what’s happening. Kind of like in the matrix with The architect.

I guess the closest thing you can get to that -- ssh into somewhere and get details on every human -- is to ssh into the government's database on everyone remotely of interest, or even accidentaly connected, (in essence almost everyone), both made of computer and human agent collection and analysis.

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

#90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I doubt Zeiss makes their own glass. Most optics companies outsource that to one of the big glass fabs: Schott, Ohara, CDGM.

Zeiss and Schott are both owned by the Carl Zeiss foundation; the origin story is somewhat covered by Material World by Ed Conway. It's a fantastic book and well worth a read.

WHAT!? This is my day job, but I'm embarrassed to admit I never realized that!

Thanks for the book rec, I'll probably start digging into it this weekend.

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