You're about to commit a crime and you quickly look for hidden cameras.

All you see is a tv-type screen with a face in it - and those eyes - those eyes - those horrible eyes are following you around as you dodge and weave!

Un-nerved you rush out with nothing, not even hearing the atavar's voice saying menacingly "Five cameras have photographed and identified you from body- movement patterns."

Too obvious. Must be baked. It uses current technology doesn't it?
-- rayfo, Jun 28 2001

I've never heard of it (I work for the summer in a company that makes various security cameras). It sound neat though. Motion detector/video camera to find the persons head, computer to aim the computer-generated eyes, and a monitor. What if more than one person is there though? Do the eyes get cross eyed, or add another set to the monitor?
-- MuddDog, Jun 28 2001


This is based on the assumption that people not about to commit petty crimes like, or at least don't mind, being intimidated by an environment somewhere out of Orwell's 1984?

If all you care about is criminals, just lock the doors. Much cheaper.
-- jutta, Jun 28 2001


In some parts of the world any shop or business without a costly security system is burgled repeatedly and/or its occupants harmed.
-- rayfo, Jun 29 2001


Tomorrow's World (BBC) had a feature last week about a security camera which emits a burst of broadband white noise when someone passes it. Apparently, primates have a subconscious response to this noise, and *always* look towards it. They tested the camera on a security-system-tester (ie, reformed thief), and he was caught on the camera even though he didn't even realise that he'd looked at it.
-- angel, Jun 29 2001


I thought this idea was going to be about a camera that you could stroke and cuddle if you were feeling a bit worried or lonely.
-- hippo, Jun 29 2001


Hey knuckle-heads. Eyes on a face on a TV screen, provided the "actor" is "looking at the camera," always appear to be "following you around the room." Erp. In order to be effectively creepy, it would have to be a holographic image doing same.
-- globaltourniquet, Jun 29 2001


Lombrosian analysis.

globeltourniquet, do not, would not.
-- Monkfish, Jun 29 2001


big brother is watching us all...............
-- edski, Jun 29 2001


<i>In order to be effectively creepy, it would have to be a holographic image doing same.</i><p>

If properly painted and lit, a concave mask can convey quite effectively the illusion that it's always "facing" someone who is within about 30 degrees of being on-axis. Spooky.
-- supercat, Jun 30 2001


How about a chatty mannequin's head with camera eyes?

Thanks _angel for the interesting note, great improvement for 'Yo Mamma.' But eventually the thieves would likely learn to avoid looking.
-- M Carter, Jan 28 2008


AFAIK several studies suggest that cameras are not so good as crime-deterrents, policemen do a much better job.

when asking one elderly policeman about this, he responded that cameras are simply way cheaper than he and his collegues are.
-- erlehmann, Jan 28 2008



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