Image Fulgurator projects images into other people's photos
There's DIY mischief and then there's next level DIY mischief, and we'd have to say that Julius von Bismarck's Image Fulgurator is one of the best scare-the-squares toys we've ever come across. A sensor detects camera flashes of nearby victims, triggering a projection of the image or text of your choice onto their subjects -- and into their photos. Anyone using a digital camera will notice the trick immediately, of course, but marks with film equipment won't ever know what hit 'em -- although they might remember the weirdo with the pistol-grip camera thing standing next to them. Check the video after the break.
[Via Core 77]
[Via Core 77]























I second that they should have done some slow motion effects, the video showed nothing!
Really cool idea. I once saw something very similar. It does the same thing but doesn't automatically sync itself to the flash. A combination of these two devices may be able to wield a smaller easier to make device. Here is the sithttp://www.hactivist.com/flashpoint/
someone pulling off this prank en mass would truly be a jerk. thousands of dollars to fly across the ocean to have your picture of some famous artifact wrecked. reminds me of the fool hearted prank by gizmodo turning off equipment during a presentation...yes, just like that there are ways to prevent it (like using digital cameras) but should i have to use digital, lots of pros don't...
Superimposed text reads:
" Hundreds of people died last year by trying this at the US Mexico border "
Now it'd be cool if this was infrared, so all the people with nice SLR's would have absolutely no idea until they reviewed their pictures.
Wow, so many practical applications for this...and even more impractical ones :)
This would be great for the Olympics, all the news paper photos would be littered with a message of your choice. Hopefully something profound!
Funny how no one has picked up on the fact he's obviously a terrorist and he's really just scouting for good locations for picking off women and children for when he comes back the next day with a real weapon (RPG, rifle, bomb vest, etc).
"My name Ramballa. Today I has camera. Tomorrow I has bomb. Bye bye for you."
Be great to properly set up to prevent nice pictures of your car's license plate from being taken or possibly unreadable from toll booth/traffic signal cameras.
Holy crap! I think the music at the end is from that old creepy Dark Seed game. Awesome.
"OWNING A CAMERA AND TAKING BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS DOESN'T MAKE YOU A PHOTOGRAPHER!"
erm, yes it does mate!
By definition, a photographer is a person who takes a photograph using a camera. It may not make them a great photographer, artist or a proffesional photographer, but they have still taken a photograph using a camera.
One word: Advertising.
you don't diss nerds with beards, ESPECIALLY on this site.
I could see museums using this.
I highly doubt it. Musuems, like the Louvre, spend fortunes getting lighting temperature etc absolutely correct to preserve paintings and artifacts, they aren't going to go project images onto them are they?
Besides Flash photography isn't allowed in most museums, especially the Louvre, so unlike in the image above, you wouldn't find anyway taking a picture of the Mona Lisa using a flash anyway.
Light shotgun!
i could see this being used when people are being given tours of places where they are asked to please not use flash photography (like in the caves i recently visited and had some jackass keep doing that in the near dark).
I can see the arrests now....
It's sad to see that Matisyahu has been forced to resort to cheap camera tricks to get attention. At least he lost that lame hat.
Just try going out in public with this thing and you're looking at a one-way trip to Gitmo. Make the damned thing small enough so you don't look like a friggin' terrorist.
I wonder if he works for Al Ghaede?
Is this even real? I have a HUGE question. Why didn't the video camera pick up the image?
I assume it's because it's activated by flash, and the video camera doesn't use flash.
I totally see this working at traffic lights - somebody is gonna inject art/commentary onto the back of passing cars as they run red lights - gotcha, traffic-cam.
I can see some good use for that thing - even if it does make the guy look like a terrorist.
PS: Louvre, paintings that can or have been damaged by flash or sunlight often have signs that request "no flash, please" and are usually put together in a room. The Mona Lisa is behind glass that reflects much of the light, and while your picture will most likely contain, glare, the glass doesn't necessarily ruin the shot.
PPS: All this attention on the Mona Lisa - there are pieces of art in the Louvre much, much more valuable just sitting out in the open. Eff her.
I would like to use this to project names of STDs across the foreheads of kids posing for myspace pictures.
I think you would get in serious trouble for projecting STDs onto kids' foreheads. Just don't get it in your eye.
Ive seen the so-called Fulgurator when it won its prize at ARS Electronica. Its total crap. The most interesting thing it reveals is the how little people understand technology. Even as Julius Von Bismarck was attempting to demonstrate it live, he had to ask members in the audience not to use their cameras as the flashes would stop it working. His well-practiced girlfriend managed to eventually capture an image which had been modified. Another intersting point is that the 'fulgurated' image of Obama which is being touted to support his 'Guerilla' tactics never turned up anywhere in the press.. could it be that no-one elses images were manipulated?
The 'device' is dependant on so many variables: Timing, recharge of flash unit, direction of sensor, exposure time of 'target camera', the fact that it needs to be dark... the list goes on.
Julius Von Bismarck (of Otto fame) claims he is going to patent his technology - well, sorry Julius, Cameras, Flash Bulbs, Projectors and Light Sensors are all patented.
I fail to understand why this is groundbreaking since it is basically a projector...and one that doesnt work very well either.
I have an invention too... it draws temporary graffiti on buidlings by stealth... its called 'OHP-Inside-A-Wig'.