I'd like to try out a pair of glasses with chromakey* functionality. That is, I would be able to select a color or color range, and everything that is not within my defined color range would appear exactly as it would if viewed through clear glass lenses. But anything falling within the color range would be "painted" with a static or video image. The painted image could be chosen by me or at random from a predefined library, or it could be received from a broadcast source.

I'm sure there are interesting applications beyond what I've imagined so far, but next time I'm flying in a blue sky full of puffy white clouds, it might be interesting to see what clouds would look like in a fishtank. Or maybe a drive into town would be more interesting if all the green cars were sunset-colored. Or with my ability to choose any color to be replaced with, say, a flesh tone, a trip to the beach could be interesting.

* also called "bluescreen," it's the technology that makes the TV weatherman seem to be in front of a weather map when he's actually in front of a blue screen.
-- beauxeault, Jan 07 2003

Neat idea. +
-- FarmerJohn, Jan 07 2003


But would there be a time delay with your camrea mounted design? If so, a disclaimer should be added, "Not for driving or walking down the street."
-- barnzenen, Jan 07 2003


//Or maybe a drive into town would be more interesting if all the green cars were sunset-colored.//

There are certain limits to what weatherpersons can wear -- like blue, for instance -- when they are standing in front of the blue screen, so that they don't become part of that spectrum, and thus blend in.

So what happens if a pedestrian happens to be crossing the street, whose choice in clothing falls within the spectrum?
-- cswiii, Jan 07 2003


cswii, I know "weatherpersons" can't wear blue, because their bluescreen is blue. But isn't the choice of color fundamentally arbitrary? That's not a rhetorical question -- I don't really know, but I can't think of a technical reason why you couldn't make a system that would select any other color. In fact, I'd imagine you could just as easily paint everything that's not blue, and see only the blue things as they really exist.

If a pedestrian crosses the street wearing clothes within the spectrum I've defined for green cars, the pedestrian's clothing also is painted with the sunset. That's not a problem as far as I'm concerned.

waugs, I don't know if you could make it work in a way that doesn't also project the unpainted parts of the image. But it's an interesting problem to consider how it might be done.
-- beauxeault, Jan 08 2003


// If a pedestrian crosses the street wearing clothes within the spectrum I've defined for green cars, the pedestrian's clothing also is painted with the sunset. That's not a problem as far as I'm concerned.//

It is if you're too busy looking at the sunset, and don't realise there's a person crossing the street right in front of you.
-- cswiii, Jan 13 2003


//But isn't the choice of color fundamentally arbitrary?//
Yes, the color used in a chromakey system is arbitrary. It used to always be blue, actually most modern systems use a bright green. Blue and green are chosen to be least likely to accidentally match on the earth tones commonly seen in human skin and clothing.
-- krelnik, Jan 13 2003


cswiii, I see your point. I should have seen it earlier, but it must've been wearing green or something.
-- beauxeault, Jan 13 2003


It's not easy being green.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jan 13 2003


This idea of days gone past is brought to you by the "random" button.
-- normzone, Jul 08 2014


You could cure colorblindness with this.
-- bungston, Jul 08 2014


Wouldn't be a cure, would be a (prosthetic?) in the same sense as glasses or a walking stick.
-- Skewed, Jul 09 2014


I miss [beauxeault]. Wonders where he may be...this idea was wonderful .
-- blissmiss, Jul 09 2014



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