Cyclops cam can distinguish between humans and blow-up dolls

In an effort to thwart drivers from using mannequins and blow-up dolls to pay cheaper fares when crossing the UK's Forth Road Bridge, officials are testing a new system that can detect the number of passengers in a car from up to 160-feet away. The Cyclops is based on technology developed at Loughborough University, and employs the fact that human skin contains a unique and measurable amount of water. In field tests the infrared Cyclops camera was able to measure vehicle occupancy with 95% accuracy, compared to 65% for human observers. The new system was seen as vital in monitoring traffic when new electronic tollbooths come online, which would further encourage cheating as they allow for variable rates depending on how many passengers are in the car.

[Hooty @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

This is too funny...

[Saint Zany @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I am sure blow-up doll industry can come up with water-embedded cells in the facial area for tricking the cyclop. I am sure there is a big market for these things... haha...

[bc @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Should've been named "Troll"...

[mckenzie @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

next: water balloon dummies

[TimB @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

How about instead of making some super-cyclops thingmajig... you just make it a flat rate? Heh, ridiculous.

[bv @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

hah , lol at the 35% that thought a blowup doll with a permanently puckered mouth was actually human. I want whatever they're smokin'.

[Jaxim @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Can it detect a little baby in a car seat, which would qualify you for using a HOV lane?

[Neil @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Only 65% of their workers could tell the difference between a blowup doll and a real human? Wow... Does Mr. Magoo work there?

[Chris Gunton @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

But what if i want to take "Lucy" out for a drive?

[toadvomit @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Damn. Will have to resort to those good ol' cadavers again. It's such a pain to keep their water from evaporating, though.

[Jason @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

lol

[DeeJ @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Great, now there will be psychos skinning people to avoid tolls.

IT RUBS THE LOTION ON IT'S SKIN OR ELSE IT GETS THE HOSE AGAIN.

Hmm...the premise for Saw 3 perhaps?

[victor dorp @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

That is so cool, and creepy! No more doing that in HOV lanes :)

[doles @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Still doesn't thwart the Larry David method of picking up a hooker to use the carpool lanes.

[blore40 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I would drive sitting in the passenger seat.

[gordo @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I live near the bridge, it's no wonder that people want to find ways to cheat the tolls when they're proposing a �4 charge at peak times... it's gonna make it pricey to commute to Edinburgh.

[Guy @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

In a similar news article, it was found that most computer geeks were *not* able to tell the difference between a human and a blow up doll.

[Whiplash @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I can't believe this is really an issue over there. What percent of the population in the UK owns blowup dolls???