obscura
Latest
MIT thaumaturges work to turn any windowed room into a camera obscura
Those interested in criminology, forensics or the basics of voyeurism probably have a decent grasp on what a camera obscura is. For everyone else in the audience, allow us to explain. Used since way before your birth, these chambers are designed with an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen; you just need a room with a hole in one side, which allows a fine amount of light to pass through. If you've ever watched [insert crime drama here], you've probably seen those magical investigators take a blurred shot of a room wall, zoom it in and somehow draw conclusions about the origins of life. Now, MIT's own Antonio Torralba and William Freeman have developed a method that can "transform the entire setting into a pinhole camera." In other words, any room with a window can be repurposed for forensics. On that note, you should probably consider moving your... operations center to a windowless bunker, STAT.
Video: Obscura Digital shows off CueLight 'interactive' pool table
The folks at Obscura Digital sure aren't strangers to massive, interactive displays, but they may just have delivered their most impressive but actually (somewhat) attainable rig to date with their new CueLight 'interactive' pool table. Now featured at both the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and Esquire's SoHo "Ultimate Bachelor Pad," the deceptively simple setup uses a projection system and a few sensors to track the balls and display some suitably jaw-dropping effects on any pool table you supply -- 'cause, you know, an actual screen would be a bit tricky. Of course, the "you" in this case is more likely to be a swanky establishment of some sort, but there's nothing stopping you from chiming in and asking for a quote for that games room you're building. Need a little more incentive? Check out the video after the break.[Via Core77]
