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Zeiss's "Holocam" turns glass windows into cameras

digitalcameraworld.com

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

#221

Post by danjc »

jh00ker wrote: post #219
wkat4242 wrote: post #38

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.

If I look at my camera lens when I'm talking and I look at the screen while you're talking, and then you do the same, then there's no issue. Am I the only one that does this? (I know the answer. I am. At least at my company, I am.)

This feels normal if you make videos but it's pretty unnatural.

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

#222

Post by epaga »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #147
KMnO4 wrote: 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…

First, holy crap! Second, #3 is always a red flag for me. It is sometimes code for "we can do this in the lab but we have no idea how one would manufacture it." A similar analogy is "we've got this great idea for a program you can license but no one here knows how to actually code it up." Third, the impact of this going mainstream would be hard to underestimate. All those people working on transparent displays like t…

Here is a demo video from someone who was there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NORPeCcIXRQ (from another hn comment)

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

#223

Post by rocqua »

WhackyIdeas wrote: post #202
ijhuygft776 wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's not going to allow surveillance through existing glass installations in any form, just possibly new ones if there's room for the support equipment and through the use of 4-5 digit piles of cash. Total surveillance is just a matter of time...

I agree. I had this worrying idea (realisation..?) that one day, maybe triple digit years away, maybe sooner, that tiny cameras and mics the size of grains of salt will be everywhere. They will cost nothing to produce, be self-charging, interconnected to each other and created to ‘reduce crime’ or ‘make you safer’. And in the same way as forever chemicals, you can’t get rid of them. Trillions of them, in fields, the…

With a sufficient culture shift, I could imagine a world where the capability exists but is outlawed and shunned. Surveillance capitalism, and blanket security Surveillance feel possible to overthrow politically. And to limit somewhat through legislation.

That leaves targeted surveillance, emergency surveillance, and war-time surveillance. Those will probably not be limited, though they are inherently more limited.

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

#224

Post by DoingIsLearning »

buffington wrote: post #99
lawlessone wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>nd light guiding elements to redirect incident light to a concealed sensor, So you can't just stick on any existing window or pane of glass? That's good.

I don't think so. From the article: > The Holocam technology "uses holographic in-coupling, light guiding and de-coupling elements to redirect the incoming light of a transparent medium to a hidden image sensor." That suggests, at least to me, that you'll need something more than just a simple sheet of glass. There's probably some engineering required to allow light to be guided and redirected towards what sounds lik…

Yes I interpret it as guiding light inside the glass such that the sensor is on the lateral aspect of the glass embedded in a glass frame perpendicular to the target image.

Sounds like they embedded a light splitter with some sort of periscope style lense inside a glass pane.

So not actually bolted oblique to the glass as GP suggested.

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

#225

Post by JoBrad »

lowdest wrote: post #159
0xNotMyAccount wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for linking to that. > coupling, decoupling and light guiding elements to divert incident light to a concealed sensor So, there's a camera in the dash looking up at the windshield and focusing where it expects to see a face, thereby using the windshield as a reflector? And maybe there's some additional etching and deposited films in the windshield to support the angles required? And perhaps you can put cameras…

It collects through the edge, and the glass can be (apparently) flat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NORPeCcIXRQ

Wow. The original article was talking about doorbells and TV broadcast applications. That looks like the quality of the original moon landing broadcast.

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

#226

Post by regularfry »

justinl33 wrote: post #138

Can some correct me in saying that this is equivalent to having a 20+ inch sized sensor? The focal length would be extraordinary

That's what's making me wonder about marketing it to car makers. What does it do if your entire windscreen is a lens?

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

#227

Post by WhackyIdeas »

akamoonknight wrote: post #210
WhackyIdeas wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. I had this worrying idea (realisation..?) that one day, maybe triple digit years away, maybe sooner, that tiny cameras and mics the size of grains of salt will be everywhere. They will cost nothing to produce, be self-charging, interconnected to each other and created to ‘reduce crime’ or ‘make you safer’. And in the same way as forever chemicals, you can’t get rid of them. Trillions of them, in fields, the…

I believe I read a science fiction book around this topic. Postsingular by Rudy Rucker I believe, related to nanotechnology. Can't remember most of it, but delved a little into how it affects relationships re: every thing being visible always to everyone. Not sure I'd entirely recommend it, but still interesting to see the thoughts and outcomes others come up with in regard to these types of potential technological c…

I hadn’t heard of Postingular, so had a quick look at Wikipiedia and the first part I read about it reminded me of a Black Mirror episode with the killer robot bees (a scary but brilliant episode which somehow felt realistic one day!). Will check this out further thanks.

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

#228

Post by WhackyIdeas »

BirAdam wrote: post #207
WhackyIdeas wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. I had this worrying idea (realisation..?) that one day, maybe triple digit years away, maybe sooner, that tiny cameras and mics the size of grains of salt will be everywhere. They will cost nothing to produce, be self-charging, interconnected to each other and created to ‘reduce crime’ or ‘make you safer’. And in the same way as forever chemicals, you can’t get rid of them. Trillions of them, in fields, the…

Politicians and high ranking unelected officials also will want privacy so truly omnipresent surveillance would be concomitant with jamming and obfuscation technologies. There’d just be endless arms race.

There will come a time when everyone will face the panopticon though. It’ll be unavoidable, like forever chemicals. I suppose that will be when the machines take over!!

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

#229

Post by WhackyIdeas »

rocqua wrote: post #223
WhackyIdeas wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. I had this worrying idea (realisation..?) that one day, maybe triple digit years away, maybe sooner, that tiny cameras and mics the size of grains of salt will be everywhere. They will cost nothing to produce, be self-charging, interconnected to each other and created to ‘reduce crime’ or ‘make you safer’. And in the same way as forever chemicals, you can’t get rid of them. Trillions of them, in fields, the…

With a sufficient culture shift, I could imagine a world where the capability exists but is outlawed and shunned. Surveillance capitalism, and blanket security Surveillance feel possible to overthrow politically. And to limit somewhat through legislation. That leaves targeted surveillance, emergency surveillance, and war-time surveillance. Those will probably not be limited, though they are inherently more limited.

As soon as one country implements such tech, all the powerful countries would do the same. It’s not really that far away from the tech we have already, just simpler, smaller and super dispensable and don’t get carried around in our pockets all day long (smartphones).

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

#230

Post by IshKebab »

swyx wrote: post #65
IshKebab wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah, this will only be good enough for sensor-level power (like 5W from a whole window). Only useful in very limited circumstances. It's not going to replace normal solar power.

but like, thats enough for the camera to power itself. pretty cool no? we can deploy this tech without plugging it in.

It is, but do you really want your windows to have integrated cameras? You can't just add this on to a window because the light is transported to the edge of the glass and that is inaccessible in normal windows.
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