DIY IR headgear repels security cameras, attracts "security"
By Donald Melanson 
posted February 23rd 2008 7:53AM
posted February 23rd 2008 7:53AM
It's not the first method we've seen for blinding security cameras, but this new DIY / art project from the folks at Oberwelt e.V. looks to be one of the simplest, and one of the few that could conceivably be used on an everyday basis. Dubbed the I-R.A.S.C. (for "infra-redlight against surveillance camera"), the device apparently consists simply of a series of infrared lights connected to a battery, which combine to blot out your face with a slightly unnerving glow. Needless to say, while it appears to hide your identity quite effectively, it doesn't exactly scream subtlety, so you'd best think of some excuses to explain yourself if you actually plan on trying this thing out in public.
[Via Coolest Gadgets]
[Via Coolest Gadgets]
chaymation,
90+% of the news I listen to, hours a day, is UK news. There are TONS of personal, violent and property attacks all the time mentioned on those outlets. Don't lie to yourself or anyone here that crime does not happen there. Nobody I know of here has been attacked or robbed like people in the UK take for granted. Because in the UK you can't defend yourself like you can here. That's just fact. Not arguable.
FThorn, I hate you... Are you really ignorant enough to believe that people, like myself, that live in the UK/London would feel any safer if everyone suddenly had free access to firearms, for so called 'defensive' purposes? How the fuck are you supposed to defend yourself against a gun anyway? The only reason you need guns to defend yourself in the US is that anyone else can own one!
Just because you hear a lot about gun crime from the UK, doesn't mean it's as much a problem as it is for the US. The media here tends to jump all over incidents involving guns because they don't occur that frequently.
Fthorn, just how many reports of a child shooting another child at school (or anyone shooting anyone at school post Hungerford) have you heard from the UK?
RikF,
Curious, how did the UK go about getting rid of guns? It had to be more involved than just making them illegal right? I can't imagine the criminals all suddenly decided to give up their lives of crime and start following the law.
I could see this adapted into the frames of glasses as an unobtrusive way of wearing such a device. A series of LED's embedded into the brow of a frame and designed to look like part of the frame would probably work nicely.
Yeah why do people think this is a good thing? Do you walk down the streets constantly angry because of security cameras and how they rob you of your privacy and ruin your entire life? I sometimes hate the fact that I can't walk into a subway station at night and have a sceret wank and a cry without it being filmed. I mean who the f***, apart from people who want to commit a crime, thinks this is a good idea?
that's just it, we want to commit crimes. is that so bad?!
But how will you post it on youtube with no footage!? :p
Maybe it is people who do not think that the constant surveillance of their ways and schedules by others is promoting their personal privacy? This is especially of concern if you are NOT concerned about hiding your identity with a hoodie (like criminals). Also, it does not help you at all if criminal X might be identified from CCTV footage AFTER he shot you dead, as surveillance systems *should* supposedly initiate the timely arrival of police forces (real world: haa haa) to prevent crime, in which case it also would not matter whether you can identify faces on tape, as timely arrested thugs could be identified via clothing.
@Christopher Burden
I am not a criminal, But I don't want to be watched, everywhere I go. That should be a basic right for everyone who lives in a country, where the very same goverment in charge, lectures other countries on the lack of human rights for their citizens.
Terror?, Tired of hearing that excuse.
Great! Now we need Shield Belts.
Get out your patents...here's an idea. What about a license plate frame using similarly simple technology to fowl those spying traffic cams?
yea but this doesnt work in a well lit area, at all. only on cameras shooting in low light conditions, those that use IR lights themselves to take footage.
Now this is a bright idea. :)
So typical of western thinking. Remember the tale of The Americans spending millions developing a pen that could write in Space and The russians used a pencil. Us muslims just use a veil! ;-)
When you smudge the burn or trajectory codes with your hand before maneuvering or during a radio blackout, you'll wish you had used a pen.
;p lol
That is a urban legend. NASA (the American space agency) DID NOT pay for the development of the pen. It was a private investor (Paul C Fisher) who only spent 1 million (still a huge sum of cash especially in those days) to develop the pen before presenting it to NASA. Then later to the Soviet space program.
However, I do agree that the best answer is usually the simplest.
I think those discussing Muslims and their traditional attire should stop. This is for the discussion of technology, not theology.
Just to put my 2 cents in. A pencil isn't really that great. This is science, and in science it is traditional not to use pencils and to use pens to prevent the possiblity of data being altered.
Choco rations up 20%! Double Plus Good!
Oh no, I'm late for the 2 minute hate!
Wow. All this research about the Wii's remote and whatnot that's happening by average users right now and nobody thought about this.
I feel so stupid...
One issue of America's First Freedom had an article I read yesterday that said 80% of London's (street) crimes are unsolved. So, overbearing surveillance does NOT do much to help crime. So, it's proven, then that the only reason for cameras is to limit personal freedom's and curtail privacy.
I say this while at the same time for my PERSONAL residence, I've had 8 CCTV cameras and recorders now for 12 years. But, knowing the above, I also carry guns and knives.
Sorry but I don't need to justify anything.
I think this would be more useful to mount on your car near the license plates. So much for photo enforced lights!
hmmm. cool. Like the Laughing Man -- should superimpose a logo over your face.
Time to rig up a license plate frame version!
Phew! This is going to be a hell of a lot less bulky than the burqa I was planning to purchase in order to protect my privacy :]:]
Should be essential wear for the UK. Perhaps if enough people start using these our hopelessly paranoid government might BEGIN to get the message that we don't want to be watched ALL THE TIME! from 'ANGRY of Nuneaton!'
Can you mount this on the back of your car to cover your license plate? That would be great for red light cameras
um this could also be really bad.... what if the police (who are already privacy sensitive) used these to protect their faces, unless the average joe had some really nice cameras, the police are free to take law by their own hands.
No the UK would just make it a crime to wear them.
We have all of you on file now. Now to start working through the list "eliminating" as we go.
"The innocent should have nothing to fear".
"it doesn't exactly scream subtlety, so you'd best think of some excuses to explain yourself if you actually plan on trying this thing out in public."
Excuses for who? The police? Hmm, how about fuck you, this isn't damaging your equipment and it's helping me exercise my right to privacy. Any further discussion on the matter, you can have with my lawyer. Here's his card. Always record exchanges with Police, you don't want to get into "he said/she said" in court. Also Cops usually become quite reasonable all of a sudden when a camera appears.
THERE IS NOTHING ILLEGAL ABOUT THIS DEVICE.
@Ross
Yes, but think about it: any time someone says that they plead the fifth, 9 times out of 10, the people that say it are guilty, otherwise they wouldn't have anything to hide.
Just some food for thought, and i know the proof of concept guys always get kicked around.
Productize that now and start selling it to celebrities. $10,000 a pop to keep the paparazzi away would be cheap.
Wouldn't this be defeated with IR filters? Or just filtering the IR light in the video stream. I remember seeing something similar with red lasers projected against a surveillance cam. They just filtered the red light out of the image and you could see everything clearly again.
Messing with the auto-exposure is really smart although. Although that too is fixed with IR filters.
It would be nice to integrate this into a pair of sunglasses, or standard corrective even. I'd buy them for my next London trip. along with the Faraday cage passport wallet, tazer proof vest, ...tin foil hat (becoming less of a joke as the months go by).
"I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes."
Couldn't you make a device like this that can be fixed to some type of glasses with a push button in your pocket for the times when you need it?
No big deal. Good security camera's have IR filters which render just this sort of thing useless.
Everyone everywhere should wear one.
that's pretty cool
If I'll ever need one, I know where to find it now lol.
so does this thing cost a buck-o-five lol