Have you ever noticed your shadow minutely? It always follows you in the presence of light, but you never pay much attention to it. But now these shadows are becoming a medium of communication among people and making the world even smaller.
Japanese researchers are using shadows as an non-intrusive way for friends to stay in touch. Called Teleshadow, the system pipes video of what people are doing at home via the net to their friends’ houses!
It, however, seems that this mode of communication would come across as an intrusion into ones private space. But, instead of showing images in full motion and colour, Teleshadow turns them into shadow outlines projected on the inside of a small decorative lamp. Creator Shunpei Yasuda said the shadow presence system aims to fill the gap between live video and static images. Mr Yasuda, a post-graduate student in Media Design at Japan’s Keio University, said the inspiration for the system came from Japanese history.
For many years, he said, Japanese homes have had Shoji or paper walls that divide some rooms. The thin walls preserve some privacy but the shadows cast on the paper as people move about also act as a reminder of that person’s presence.
In a similar way Teleshadow preserves privacy while reinforcing presence between rooms that are far apart rather than next door. Also, said Mr Yasuda, the lamp, or andon that act as the projector is based on a well-known Japanese design.
Slotting the smart card in the base of the lamp starts it displaying that person’s shadow. The research was shown off at the Siggraph computer graphics convention being held in San Diego, US from 5-9 August.
Via: Coolgadgets
