EyeTap
A EyeTap ( Engl. "Augenanzapfung") is a the monocle -like head-mounted display , the front of the eye is supported and the functions of a camera and a display combines. The EyeTap fades computer-generated images into the scene perceived by the user.
The EyeTap implements augmented reality , which means that it supplements the wearer's sensory perception with computer-aided information. In contrast to virtual reality , where closed VR helmets isolate the wearer from their surroundings, the user of the EyeTap continues to perceive their surroundings.
EyeTaps intercept some of the incident light rays in front of the eye in order to record what the eye sees as precisely as possible. A camera digitizes the captured image of the scene and sends it to a computer which, after processing, forwards it to a projector . The projector reflects the edited image back into the eyesight at the same point where it was previously taken and thus superimposes the original scene. Ultimately, both light rays that pass the EyeTap unchanged and artificially generated light rays fall into the eye. This results in a clean, transparent overlay of the real and the computer-generated image. Stereo EyeTaps change the vision of both eyes equally, but for the sake of simplicity most prototypes only tap the light from one eye.
EyeTap is also the name of a company that was founded by EyeTap inventor Steve Mann . Steve Mann is a well-known visionary of cyborg technology, a promoter of wearable computing and a critic of state surveillance (see Sousveillance ).
Possible uses
An EyeTap is in some ways comparable to a head-up display . The main difference, however, is that the computer not only projects the display, but can also access the scene perceived by the eye. In this way it is theoretically possible to change the computer-generated image depending on the natural image. A corresponding use would be conceivable in sports, for example: the wearer of the EyeTap could follow a specific player on the field in the stadium, while the computer displays statistical data in a small info box floating above the player. The "EyeTap criteria" are an attempt to define how close an actually usable device comes to such an ideal. EyeTaps will primarily find application in areas where users would benefit from visual, interactive real-time information. This technique is sometimes referred to as " Augmented Reality ".
Furthermore, they offer a wide range of military uses, such as for quick determination of distances, enemy detection, or information gathering about the terrain.
functionality
An EyeTap is usually equipped with a computer-controlled laser light source that synthesizes new image material for the eye. In this way, for example, a billboard that the user is looking at can be used to present a personal message such as an e-mail. Although a manufacturer of displays worn on the head has chosen a very similar name ("Eyetop"), an EyeTap is not just a simple display, but also a recording device.
Since the device intercepts light rays that are collinear with the rays that hit the center of the eye, looking directly into the eye of a “cyborg logger” reveals what looks like a lens or something similar and is right in the eye socket appears to be mounted. This is due to the fact that the iris of the glass lens is mapped exactly onto the iris of the eye - i.e. the same point that the laser light rays pass on their way to the retina.
The principle of the EyeTap can also be applied to other forms of electromagnetic energy.
Web links
- EyeTap device (s) brief description in English
- eyetap.org