Hacking eyeballs - the Fulgurator

Author: Gareth Halfacree
Published: 26th June 2008
Comments (31) Stumble
Bismarck's invention - aside from making him look like a 60's terrorist - projects images when pictures are taken.

Bismarck's invention - aside from making him look like a 60's terrorist - projects images when pictures are taken.

Have you ever wanted to perform a Ghost in the Shell-style backhack on someone? Well, a artist in Berlin may have got closer to that dream than you ever thought possible.

The MAKE: Blog broke the news on Berlin-based artist Julius von Bismarck's 'Image Fulgurator' yesterday. Built from an old SLR camera, a sensor, a flash, and a telephoto lens, the Fulgurator has but a single aim: to mess with peoples' heads.

Looking enough like a gun to get Bismarck in trouble should he ever try to wave it around London, the Fulgurator – named from the Latin for Jupiter, hurler of lightning – is designed to detect a flash from a camera and trigger its own built-in flash. Unlike the original purpose of the flash gun, the Fulgurator uses this split-second burst of light to project an image onto a surface that the artist knows will be in the frame of the photo.

The result, as demonstrated in a video of the device in action at the famous Checkpoint Charlie, is a collection of confused and weirded-out tourists.

Bismarck has announced an application for a patent covering the device, although the practical uses outside subliminal advertising and/or psy-ops by shady quasi-military organisations are perhaps limited. As a toy, however, I can certainly say 'gimme'.

Bismarck explains his invention came out of a desire to play with “the high confidence of the people in their photographic images of reality.” Describing his device as for the “manipulation of visual reality”, the artist has published full technical specifications and a copy of the main diagram from the patent application on his website for your edification.

Can you think of commercial applications for such a device, or is it nothing more than a wacky toy created by an wacky artist? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
Quote liratheal 26th June 2008, 09:32
At first I thought it was a really OTT M11A1, akin to what Snake Pliskin uses in Escape from New York..

I want one >.>
Quote Bauul 26th June 2008, 09:39
Where's the video? I can't find the link on the linked page in the article.
Quote Gareth Halfacree 26th June 2008, 09:43
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bauul
Where's the video? I can't find the link on the linked page in the article.
Damnit, I was /sure/ I'd copied the link before pasting. Ah, well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAX_3Bgel7M
Quote sotu1 26th June 2008, 09:47
ok, early morning dumbness. can someone tell me in laymans terms what this does?
Quote Gareth Halfacree 26th June 2008, 09:49
Quote:
Originally Posted by sotu1
ok, early morning dumbness. can someone tell me in laymans terms what this does?
It detects the flash from a camera, and then projects an image of your choosing for a split-second. The result is that the image is recorded on the picture a third party was taking, but there's no evidence that it was ever there aside from said photograph. It's gone so quickly that the human eye never gets a chance to see it.
Quote AlexB 26th June 2008, 10:05
Clever, and cool! I'd love to leave that set up against a landmark all the time. :D
Quote 13en 26th June 2008, 10:27
The picture on his site shows it being used projecting text onto the mona lisa, so at first I though it could be used by galleries to ruin pictures so you have to buy their own merchandise, but given that it detects flashes - which probably piss people off in galleries - I guess thats less of an issue.

Cool toy though :P
Quote Hamish 26th June 2008, 11:14
needs more epic stealth goatse imo :p
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 26th June 2008, 12:44
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gareth Halfacree
Quote:
Originally Posted by sotu1
ok, early morning dumbness. can someone tell me in laymans terms what this does?
It detects the flash from a camera, and then projects an image of your choosing for a split-second. The result is that the image is recorded on the picture a third party was taking, but there's no evidence that it was ever there aside from said photograph. It's gone so quickly that the human eye never gets a chance to see it.

This is the best invention ever.

I literally doesn't get any better.

Me wants.
Quote chicorasia 26th June 2008, 13:16
Oh, those crazy guys from UDK Berlin...

http://www.digital.udk-berlin.de/en/projects.html

It is awesome, simply awesome. Great idea, great execution, and it is not devoid of commercial application.

One could have a couple Fulgurators set up in a theater or concert, for instance, so that it would imprint a copyright infringement message on any unauthorized photographs. Think of it as a "VOID" sticker for images.

But I'd much rather see it put to use in more subversive ways. Like said setup being used to ruin photographs of sports events - how about "free Tibet" burned into every picture of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games?
Quote soopahfly 26th June 2008, 13:23
Quote:
how about "free Tibet" burned into every picture of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games?
No purchase necessary?
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 26th June 2008, 13:41
Wouldn't you have to have it pointing in the right direction for every single photo taken though?
Quote Gareth Halfacree 26th June 2008, 13:59
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmy_the_tortoise
Wouldn't you have to have it pointing in the right direction for every single photo taken though?
The idea is that you have it pointing at something people are likely to want to photograph. In the video, it's the famous "You are leaving the American quarter" Checkpoint Charlie sign. It won't work for people who aren't taking a photo of that sign. You don't need to point it at the camera.
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 26th June 2008, 14:07
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gareth Halfacree
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmy_the_tortoise
Wouldn't you have to have it pointing in the right direction for every single photo taken though?
The idea is that you have it pointing at something people are likely to want to photograph. In the video, it's the famous "You are leaving the American quarter" Checkpoint Charlie sign. It won't work for people who aren't taking a photo of that sign. You don't need to point it at the camera.

I get that.. But I was talking about chicorasia's suggested ideas about the Olympics and in Theatres... How can you guarantee that from a crowd of people taking photos of god knows what in such a busy place.. that you're going to get the imprint on every single photo.
Quote Gareth Halfacree 26th June 2008, 14:09
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmy_the_tortoise
I get that.. But I was talking about chicorasia's suggested ideas about the Olympics and in Theatres... How can you guarantee that from a crowd of people taking photos of god knows what in such a busy place.. that you're going to get the imprint on every single photo.
In the case of a theatre: point it at the stage. Why would anyone be taking photos of anything else, and more to the point why would you mind? In the case of the Olympics, point it at the surface the runners/jumpers/javeliners/whatevers are stood on. Why would anyone be taking photos of anything else, and more to the point why would you mind?
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 26th June 2008, 14:15
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gareth Halfacree
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmy_the_tortoise
I get that.. But I was talking about chicorasia's suggested ideas about the Olympics and in Theatres... How can you guarantee that from a crowd of people taking photos of god knows what in such a busy place.. that you're going to get the imprint on every single photo.
In the case of a theatre: point it at the stage. Why would anyone be taking photos of anything else, and more to the point why would you mind? In the case of the Olympics, point it at the surface the runners/jumpers/javeliners/whatevers are stood on. Why would anyone be taking photos of anything else, and more to the point why would you mind?

Well.. it's not going to work in a stadium if people are zooming right in and the fulgurator isn't pointing at that exact spot... Same with the Theatre. I'm not saying that people would take photos of anything else, or that anyone would care about that... But you'd need a fulgurator covering each exact point in the area to ensure EVERY last photo has the imprint.
Quote Gareth Halfacree 26th June 2008, 14:26
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmy_the_tortoise
Well.. it's not going to work in a stadium if people are zooming right in and the fulgurator isn't pointing at that exact spot... Same with the Theatre. I'm not saying that people would take photos of anything else, or that anyone would care about that... But you'd need a fulgurator covering each exact point in the area to ensure EVERY last photo has the imprint.
Why not just project a big image over the entirety of the stage/arena with "VOID" written multiple times in a repeating pattern? No matter how far they zoom in, they'll see it.

'Course, they could simply not use flash - which would be redundant if you're using a telephoto anyway.
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 26th June 2008, 14:28
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gareth Halfacree
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmy_the_tortoise
Well.. it's not going to work in a stadium if people are zooming right in and the fulgurator isn't pointing at that exact spot... Same with the Theatre. I'm not saying that people would take photos of anything else, or that anyone would care about that... But you'd need a fulgurator covering each exact point in the area to ensure EVERY last photo has the imprint.
Why not just project a big image over the entirety of the stage/arena with "VOID" written multiple times in a repeating pattern? No matter how far they zoom in, they'll see it.

'Course, they could simply not use flash - which would be redundant if you're using a telephoto anyway.

Good point...

You got me telt.
Quote widmod 26th June 2008, 15:02
i guess a full Olympic stadion would have a huge amount of cameras so that there will be allways flashes around. If so the device should project the image the whole time the stadion is filled, but the projection is carried out by a camera flash so it can project an image only for a short time.
Also you would have to find a place to porject it in the whole stadion and bring the device trough security controls before.
Quote Shadowed_fury 26th June 2008, 15:07
Very clever! :D
Could be pretty funny tbh
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 26th June 2008, 15:15
Quote:
Originally Posted by widmod
i guess a full Olympic stadion would have a huge amount of cameras so that there will be allways flashes around. If so the device should project the image the whole time the stadion is filled, but the projection is carried out by a camera flash so it can project an image only for a short time.
Also you would have to find a place to porject it in the whole stadion and bring the device trough security controls before.

The sensor would have to be rather sensetive to detect every single flash in the stadium.
Quote Gareth Halfacree 26th June 2008, 15:19
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmy_the_tortoise
The sensor would have to be rather sensetive to detect every single flash in the stadium.
In daylight, don't forget.
Quote devdevil85 26th June 2008, 15:27
This would be a good way to freak people out or start a conspiracy or something......lol like have it turned on for only a certain number of people and make them think it was an "act of God" or that "they weren't supposed to see it"....so many way to abuse it.....
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 26th June 2008, 15:31
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gareth Halfacree
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmy_the_tortoise
The sensor would have to be rather sensetive to detect every single flash in the stadium.
In daylight, don't forget.

There'd actually probably be enough daylight to negate the use of a flash anyway (given what I imagine summer is like in Beijing)..
Quote Furymouse 26th June 2008, 16:52
Wouldn't this be good for red light cameras? Kind of an active camouflage device.
Also, people using flashes in a stadium......yeah, that pictures not turning out anyways.
Quote Cthippo 26th June 2008, 21:15
The other issue is in a stadium full of people taking pictures the device would be "on" so much that the image would become visible to those watching. This only works if thre duty cycle is so short that you don't see the projected image.
Quote ParaHelix.org 27th June 2008, 01:42
Okay, tell me if I am wrong (and maybe so) but is this basically just a portable projector which activates when it detects a flash of light? if so...why...lol
Quote Cthippo 27th June 2008, 05:14
Quote:
Originally Posted by ParaHelix.org
Okay, tell me if I am wrong (and maybe so) but is this basically just a portable projector which activates when it detects a flash of light? if so...why...lol

Quote Ninja_182 27th June 2008, 06:06
If I ever saw one of these in anyone's possession other than where photography is banned, I would personally like to club them over the head with it.

Some people have to make a living taking photos of things, the last thing they need is someone overlaying images on their work.
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 27th June 2008, 13:39
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cthippo
The other issue is in a stadium full of people taking pictures the device would be "on" so much that the image would become visible to those watching. This only works if thre duty cycle is so short that you don't see the projected image.

Actually, that may not be the case... You would need a constant stream of camera flashes... and, whilst there are a lot of photos taken at such events, not enough to keep a constant stream.

Remember, this thing only projects for a fraction of a second.
Quote ParaHelix.org 29th June 2008, 16:47
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmy_the_tortoise
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cthippo
The other issue is in a stadium full of people taking pictures the device would be "on" so much that the image would become visible to those watching. This only works if thre duty cycle is so short that you don't see the projected image.

Actually, that may not be the case... You would need a constant stream of camera flashes... and, whilst there are a lot of photos taken at such events, not enough to keep a constant stream.

Remember, this thing only projects for a fraction of a second.

I even doubt it would work with a constant steam, if it was like a constant light it may not activate at all, as it does not activate with sunlight.
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