Filmmaker hopes to replace false eye with webcam, become a superhero

There are quite a few eerie similarities between Rob Spence and Tanya Vlach. For starters, they're both artists, and secondly, they both currently have one prosthetic eye. The real kicker? Each of 'em wants a camera stuck in there instead. In what we can only hope is (or isn't?) a freakishly growing trend, Mr. Spence has reportedly sought consultation from the University of Toronto's Steve Mann, a self-proclaimed expert in the field of wearable computing and cyborgs. Essentially, Rob is hoping to install a webcam in his eye socket in order to become a so-called "lifecaster." The camera wouldn't actually be wired to his brain, thus his level of vision would remain subpar, but it would make him a living science experiment that would surely prove insightful to an array of others. As of now, it sounds like the road to installation is long, but we get the impression that this guy isn't apt to give up until the proverbial fat lady begins to bellow.

[Cris @ Dec 5th 2008 9:37AM]

A true visionary!

[iEye @ Dec 5th 2008 9:39AM]

1/2 Visionary...

[pavlindrom @ Dec 5th 2008 9:49AM]

1/2 for self, 1/2 for YOU. WARNING: movies may be jerky in the future.

[Seneca @ Dec 5th 2008 9:58AM]

Not so much as the first lady that had the idea.
Now if the two of them got together...
That could lead to some real interesting uses for DVD's camera angle option that never really got implemented on DVDs.

[Cris @ Dec 5th 2008 10:15AM]

Let's go for the ear/eye combo!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-487039/Artist-implants-ear-arm.html

[Jason @ Dec 5th 2008 12:34PM]

"WARNING: movies may be jerky in the future." - No, you gotta have auto-focus and steadycam built in or this is no deal.

[Nintenboy @ Dec 5th 2008 2:03PM]

Wow..Fisrt time I´ve seen IEye recieving a "Highest Rankend" O_o Someone switched me to another dimension..

[Cris @ Dec 5th 2008 2:07PM]

Hey Nintendoboy... it's all about the brilliant material he got as a lead... ;-)

Cheers

[eggothewaffle @ Dec 5th 2008 9:39AM]

Someone should make an application that counts the amount of times he checks out a girl; now that would really make him a living science experiment that would surely prove insightful to an array of others.

Proverbial fat ladies don't count though.

[Hackettman @ Dec 5th 2008 10:19AM]

Fat chicks count......

[StalematE @ Dec 5th 2008 11:10AM]

"Fat chicks need love too... but they gotta pay!"

[schmitty338 @ Dec 5th 2008 9:39AM]

That would actually be kinda cool until it came time for some, errrr, 'private' moments....

On a side note, good ol' U of T, my alma mater.

[BratPAQ @ Dec 5th 2008 9:55AM]

easy, eye patch, arrr!

[Welcome Nick!!! @ Dec 5th 2008 9:42AM]

I'm a hardcore photographer, I feel naked when I don't have my camera with me and iI get upset when I go somewhere and I see the perfect picture, but I don't have my camera to take it. With the way technology is evolving, I'm sure this would be possible with rather high quality results. I would literally give an eye to have a prosthetic camera/eye.

[guy @ Dec 5th 2008 9:51AM]

it would be painful to have a 70-200 f2.8 attached to your head

[Welcome Nick!!! @ Dec 5th 2008 10:11AM]

haha, im not talkin a seriously camera like a SLR or somethin like that , but with things getting smaller and smaller, it wouldnt be too hard to atleast put a nice point-and-click camera in there, so i could atleast snap a few shots even if i dont happen to have my good camera on me. sometimes it doesnt matter the camera, its the photographer using it.

[Hackettman @ Dec 5th 2008 10:21AM]

Well with the display in a contact lense in sure theyll soon be able to do some sort of reverse for optics......

[guy @ Dec 5th 2008 10:34AM]

Seriously though, the lenses could be a lot smaller since a pentaprism and a mirror box is NOT needed(think rangefinder). The problem would be developing a lenses for the spherical retina (roughly 1000mm square) which is larger than a 35mm FF(864mm square). It would be fun to see the raw image of a spherical sensor.

You're right, the photographer always comes first

[Dean @ Dec 6th 2008 2:31AM]

What happens when blinking while taking the picture?

[iEye @ Dec 5th 2008 9:42AM]

Seriously if I had one of those all you would see on the web cam feed is zoom shots of T&A...

[StalematE @ Dec 5th 2008 12:12PM]

If you had one of these I'm sure all you would see on the web cam feed is zoom shots of your iPhone...

[Samboini @ Dec 5th 2008 1:27PM]

Male T&A moar liek.

[Mike @ Dec 5th 2008 9:49AM]

Seriously,

We have in expert in the field of CYBORGS!!??

[Ryan Trevisol @ Dec 6th 2008 1:40PM]

I'm sure he's a mod/admin on the web's biggest Terminator forum.

[rock99rock @ Dec 5th 2008 9:55AM]

Thats one place you would NOT want to use a fuel cell.

[pavlindrom @ Dec 5th 2008 9:57AM]

The technology is this: 1GB SSD for storing information... Wi-fi is not available everywhere...
Bluetooth for wireless syncing, so that people won't see you rotating your eye to poke a cable in there.
The eye has to be taken out at night to be recharged, unless you want a cable in your eye.
The battery is non-removable so that gaps won't hurt your insides.
A battery costs $100 due to the size, and for it to be large enough, your brain will have to be pushed back about 2 inch to make room...
The eye will, clearly, be removable for charging/software updates. It will be white, and made by Apple for design. The iris will be in the form of an apple someone disliked and threw it away after a bite.

More details to come in summer at WDC '09, with the presentation of a working prototype. Stay tuned, please. The future Big Brother is awaiting eagerly... Do no disappoint.

[Frankenstein Black @ Dec 5th 2008 10:25AM]

Why WiFi? He should be thinking 4G LTE for live, always on, global compatibility. This guy better lead some kind of an interesting life (global travel, hot chicks, fights, witness to murders, robberies, drinking, whoring, etc.) If not, the novelty will wear of quick. Oh, and no commercials on that iChannel either (that includes cleaver product placement where you stare at a bottle of Coke a Cola for 2 minutes ;^)...

[pavlindrom @ Dec 5th 2008 11:09AM]

I'd rather see a much shorter, including special effects version of a week in his life and not every single minute. What if something happens and you are in the bathroom? You can't record to watch later also, since it's continuously. Also all the stupid jokes, loser comments, quiet moments of stupidity would also be... just not interesting. Then the youtube flooded with "I reaaaaly liked this...". Plus it definitely won't be HQ, so please don't propose it as a show.

[pavlindrom @ Dec 5th 2008 11:11AM]

If you don't live a moment, it just sucks if it's not injected with all kinds of effects...

[Hijakk @ Dec 5th 2008 2:53PM]

iEye!

[DestroyerMTL @ Dec 5th 2008 9:58AM]

I saw Steve Mann give a lecture at McGill a couple of years ago. He's pretty nuts. He used webcams in his glasses to project his lecture on to the big screen. He has some very interesting ideas.

[John @ Dec 5th 2008 10:11AM]

Ever since I saw the NOVA special "Conception, The Miracle of Life," I've wanted a camera implanted somewhere.

[Ethan @ Dec 5th 2008 10:12AM]

Look forward to a future of us all projecting unfiltered noise at each other that we aren't interested in. Like this comment!

[Greg @ Dec 5th 2008 2:30PM]

Have you ever used Twitter?

[crispy @ Dec 5th 2008 10:13AM]

Feed the wire down the eye socket to nasal cavity to esophagus, have cord come out belly. Then you can wear battery and recorder externally.

[Malfoy Roark @ Dec 5th 2008 10:14AM]

Anyone ever see the movie Final Cut with Robin Williams? Similiar concept except people have a chip put in their brain at birth and it records their whole lives and the videos are left to family members, etc. Issues break out because people who have it put in at birth aren't told about it and they tend to find out 18-20 years later etc.

[Frankenstein Black @ Dec 5th 2008 10:14AM]

Now all his iChannel has to do is be interesting and get ratings or it will go the way of the “Andy Richter Controls the Universe” show ;^(...

[Jon Acheson @ Dec 5th 2008 10:20AM]

And the score is Webcam Eyes 2, Death Ray Eyes 0.

[Hackettman @ Dec 5th 2008 10:23AM]

I want death ray eyes..... But just one because then Id just be a maniac......

[Idlemind @ Dec 5th 2008 10:27AM]

if he does this... would be be banned from courtrooms??

[rock99rock @ Dec 5th 2008 10:53AM]

Does he have to remove it when in an airplane is in the process of taking off and landing? or concerts? or corporate boardrooms? some airports? cruise ship customs check in?

[thedesolate1 @ Dec 5th 2008 10:30AM]

Is anyone else here concerned about the prospect of people having iEyes?
we are getting another step closer to 1984.

[Alex @ Dec 5th 2008 2:40PM]

DUH-DUH DUN-DUN-DUH!
DUH-DUH DUN-DUN-DUH!
Duuuuuuhhhhh-duuuhhh-duuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhh...

That was the Terminator 2 theme if you can't read in tune.

[HOOPER @ Dec 5th 2008 3:22PM]

The Engadget community has one of those already

[thedesolate1 @ Dec 6th 2008 10:53AM]

Well we dont want an entire army...

[Wuturea @ Dec 5th 2008 10:48AM]

Small low power cmos sensor + custom lense + lithium ion button cell battery + densest flash memory chip + wifi for syncing = I think it could be crammed in a spherical shape that small

[jtrot1000 @ Dec 5th 2008 10:54AM]

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!

[Dan Fruzetti @ Dec 5th 2008 11:07AM]

You know, it might prove very useful to have an LED flashlight built into the prosthesis, even as opposed to a camera. I can think of tons of good uses at home and elsewhere for a light built into your head. And figure out a way to make the light follow the movement of the other eye.

[Dave @ Dec 5th 2008 1:08PM]

And the best part, the light could go on when you have an excellent idea!

[Evan @ Dec 5th 2008 11:12AM]

I'd want it blink-controlled!