There are few things more disconcerting than sitting inside your house or a shop and having someone peer in at you from outside the window. Fortunately, this project from Niklas Roy will keep would-be creepers away - the robotic curtain!
This project uses a surveillance camera to track the motion of passers-by. Using this information, a computer relays a position to a motor, which moves a small curtain back and forth to keep pedestrians from peering in the window. Of course, the curtain attracts way more people than would normally stop to look inside the window - but it's still a very cool project. Read more about Niklas and his projects at his website!
Seems like it might be more practical as a way for shops to get people to look in their window. Instead of blocking the view with a curtain, put a curtain across the entire window with one open spot that follows passersby. The movement would attract attention, and spectators might be interested in seeing what's behind the curtain.
Commander Roy: Deploy blast windows! Prepare for warpjump!
Simply awesome!
I would just say that Niklas should add a weighted rod to the bottom of the curtain so that it does not fold up on itself so easily. Otherwise your BWR (blockage to windowage ratio) will be less than optimal.
I was thinking that the whole time too.
This definitely has some interesting marketing applications.
Water Cannon shooting at squirrels in my garden!
water. cannon.
Love it!
That's funnier than a fart in a space suit!!
That's pretty slick. I could see stores that use window display using a similar set up to draw people in. Have a little sign that displays specials follow you as you walk by, or have a shirt at the right hight with a video display so as you walk by on screen it looks like your wearing the shirt.
Wow!
That thing can make some privacy for us...
That's hilarious. The computer vision part in the middle of the video is awesome.