A Tokyo-based startup has successfully crowdfunded a wearable camera concept called Blincam. Much the way Google Glass works, Blincam would attach to a pair of glasses and snap photos when the wearer winks or blinks. According to the team behind the product, the final product will be compatible with a mobile app that immediately provides access to photos taken with the camera.
Blincam is said to feature a patent-pending Eye Movement Sensor that detects when the wearer blinks, as well as an integrated speaker for playing a shutter sound, an LED battery indicator light, Bluetooth connectivity, microUSB, 32GB of internal storage and an 'HD CMOS' camera sensor.
Blincam Co Ltd, the company behind the campaign, claims to have already developed an alpha version of Blincam, and that it has worked out most of the technical issues. The crowdfunding campaign is intended to raise part of the funds needed to launch the camera. The company anticipates starting deliveries to backers this coming December; as with other crowdfunding projects, however, it is possible the device will never come to fruition.
I think it may be down to the duration of the blink/wink which decides whether or not to capture a frame. A blink is very quick to compared to a wink. I'd like to wear two and do stereo photography. And, how many time do you see something and wish you had your camera ready ? Finally, don't wear this in France or other countries where an individuals right to privacy extends into general public spaces.
In the youtube video promoting this product, I think they should have reversed the gender roles. Because really, the target market for this thing is creepy men.
No need to really worry about privacy until everything is hidden in the frame of the glasses (definitely possible) - just look at Oakley Thump MP3 sunglasses, especially with the earbuds removed.
The title says when you wink, the description says when you blink. There is a big difference between a wink and a blink. People blink all the time, some far more than others, so if it triggers on a blink there will be a lot of useless pictures.
If you don't already wear glasses how many people want to buy and wear a pair. I'm guessing most would rather carry a small camera or use their cell phone.
Edit: I just watched the video, it looks like it's a wink even though it's called Blincam. I think they might be better off selling a new and improved exercise machine or the most durable sharpest kitchen knives in the world.
About half of all American women and over 40% of men wear glasses. In Japan, the figure is even higher. This does not include people who wear sunglasses or fashion glasses with no corrective optics. That's a large enough niche to start with.
Just by looking at people in malls and public places I do not believe your statistics are correct. Even if you were correct that still leaves "about half" of women and 60% of men who do not and you are assuming that of those that do all will want to wear glasses with a bulky camera attached to them. At best it would be a much much smaller percentage. How many people who wear fashion glasses want a camera attached to them, unless that's a new fashion statement. Sunglasses are not the same as glasses. They much lighter, they are considered "cool" by far more people than glasses with a camera would be and viewing a subject through a dark lens is not an ideal condition.
I see you're really intent on making up reasons to hate on this thing.
1) I'm glad your local shopping mall preferentially attracts people with excellent vision. So what? Anecdotal evidence does not prove anything. Meanwhile, a majority of my colleagues at work wear glasses. 2) Why are you trying to insinuate that a) this product is useless unless it is accessible to 100% of the population; and b) the existence of this product means anyone with glasses has to shoot with this? I fail to follow your rambling logic. 3) Your attempted swipe at sunglasses is really grasping at straws. Who cares about the "dark lens"? The camera's not shooting through the sunglasses, and the wearer "view the subject" only to roughly frame it--with something like this, it's clearly impossible to frame and focus exactly.
I said shopping malls and public places, including work, and they have nothing to do with attracting people with perfect vision. What a silly statement, shopping malls are the opposite of being preferential to a certain type of status. I didn't say it was useless but I AM insinuating that it is a product that will do poorly in the market, as are most of the other comments which you are apparently ignoring.
The only one rambling is you trying defend them with your poor statistics and contradicting statements. "Anecdotal evidence does not prove anything" and yet you follow that with the same. LOL
I think most people can easily understand my point that if you are already invested in glasses AND you are interested in this product you might be willing to try it whereas if you do not already own glasses you would be much less likely to try the product. I hope that is easier for you to follow.
I'm not swiping at sunglasses you brought them up and my points about them are valid. People care about the "dark lens" otherwise why not wear sunglasses when taking pictures with a camera. Most people actually take them off to take a picture. It's just common sense that when you are taking pictures of something you want the clearest view possible. You are the one who is grasping at straws when you brought up sunglasses and fashion glasses to try and strengthen your argument.
There you go again heading off in another direction. What part of " I do not believe your statistics are correct." didn't you understand? You didn't provide any verifiable statistics so how is that any different than zero statistics? I could have just as well made up some statistic.
I didn't feel like getting of topic earlier but I do not believe you even know what anecdote and anecdotal means. Why don't you point out what part of my above statements are anecdotal.
"So I bring up a counter-anecdote, and I get criticized?" I was showing you how ridiculous your logic is but you didn't get that either.
They got the idea from the movie "Hall Pass", when one of the main characters blink so he can create memory pictures of the waitress in front of him lol.
I think this is actually a funny product. I would assume that the idea behind it is to be discreet. However it looks like it would stand out like a sore thumb, and it makes a shutter sound? Why? I also wonder...does it take a picture every time you blink? Funny
I wonder if the World's average IQ went up by 2 or 3 points, would at least half of these creepy, bizarre and Homer Simpson - Austin Power crossover gimmicks go away?
I'm not a grumpy old man. I'm just 35, but there's a time when enough is enough with these dumb ideas.
I assume they are detecting the potential (voltage / electric field) that is generated by the movement of the eye (blinking), which is in the micro to milli-volt range. If that is the case (the only explanation I have), then I also assume that blinking BOTH eyes should activate the shutter. That way you don't get in trouble if you look at a woman accompanied by her jealous man and blink at her :-) ... Blinking /closing both eyes should be safer!!!
The reliability of this method of detection (since it is not elaborate equipment) might be hit and miss due to the inconsistency of this electric charge generation (its magnitude). The potential varies by day, and by other factors. Will there be an automatic re-calibration built-in? The good thing is that the potential is always generated by eye movement, even in total darkness. Good for low-light conditions here.
I wonder... Is that really more creepy than all the selfie-with-strange-sticks people spending time to shoot themselves or even the thounsands of CCTV cameras hanging around "for your safety"... At least, I see some real useful applications for this one.
Nothing creepy about selfie sticks, you just don't need to bring another person to take photos for you, the results are the same. And I think that's for the better. This however, IS CREEPY, because someone may be constantly taking pictures 1)without your knowledge, or 2)constantly winking at you like a gdamn psychopath.
Very soon this gadget will be built into glasses. Wonder what happens if a person is wearing sun glasses..will it still detect the wink. I can see Facebook full of pictures taken by this camera. Should be quite funny.
It would be interesting if you put a telephoto lens on it and put a frame guide on the lens of your glasses. Human head actually has some inherent image stabilization built into it (although not as good as the chicken https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRKu785g0O0)
The eye has an electric charge (cornea is the positive end of the dipole). When you blink eye briefly rolls up and back (it's called Bell's phenomenon). All you need is a circuit to detect this electric dipole. Natural blinks have a shorter time course than winks that generate a larger signal over a longer duration.
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