Topic: LaserCam: Introducing a new live video to laser projection application

[drlava]

Nautilus Integration is proud to announce a new level of live laser interaction technology called LaserCam.  LaserCam allows you to project live video feeds in real time through your projector in vector mode.  This technology taps into a video source such as a webcam and, using your laser projector, projects a laser image that is representative of what your webcam or camera sees.  This is not your ordinary low-resolution raster scanning technique.  The images are vectorized in real time and can be scanned at a fluid 30FPS rate on ordinary 30k galvos.

With LaserCam you will be able to use your laser projector in an entirely new way - to display live vector representation of a video feed during a show or concert.  In a club, you can capture and display anonymized vector video of dancers that are on your dance floor in real time on your laser projection screen!  You will also be able to use LaserCam to capture and record frame sequences for use in shows that do not involve a live video feed.



Demo Video, Xvid compressed (note that the camera used to record this video causes significant flicker which is not seen in real life)

LaserCam opens the doors to live interactive laser projection as well as real-time frame generation techniques for shows.

Features:
    * Display real-time laser video from a camera source
    * Export ILDA 0,1,2,5
    * Interactive Colorization
    * Capture webcam input to ILDA file for use in shows
    * Real-time preview on screen and with laser
    * Supports RIYA, EasyLase, EzAudDac, QM2000 Controllers

Suggested System Requirements:
    * Webcam or similar video input device
    * Dual Core 2GHz processor
    * 1GB RAM (For recording)


Available here

Send a PM for Special Laserboy/AudioDAC pricing.

[meandean]

  I seem to remember AgentC was working on something like this...

[James]

Nope.

He had a live web cam thing started, but it was not a vector outline of video edge detection.

It was a spiral scan that warped in the third dimention based on the intensity of the light coming into the cam. With proper lighting, you could see a 3D impression of things like your hands or your face. That was amazing!

This is totally different. This is a LIVE trace of high contrast edges in the video image, with live data reduction, optimization and a variety of ways to put color into it.

BTW that's an AWESOME picture of you, drlava!

James. 

[meandean]

This is totally different.

  Yeah, but I'll bet AgentC's work was an inspiration...

[James]

No. I'm pretty sure drlava has invented every last molecule of the various technologies that he employs to do his thing with lasers.    

James. 

[drlava]

Hey there Dean!  No I didn't invent webcams, video, laser, or even combining the three.  Actually that has been around for a while.  As most people do, we build on the technologies that are available to create new things.  AgentC was an inspiration in a way.. he inspired me to think 'outside the box' with his app and to involve more interactive sources for laser art creation.  But the inspiration for this was not directly derived from his work, as James pointed out the methods are quite different.  That said, I'd love to add a 3D-ified spiral raster scan mode (among other things) to this at a later time if he and James are cool with that.

Btw, that picture of me is simply a single frame grab from an animation taken with this.  Just hold the webcam to your face and click 'record'

[no-esc]

Amazing.... looks incredible.

[meandean]

 I didn't mean to be a weenie (although it does rhyme with my name). I just thought what AgentC was doing was new and different to me, and was well worth mentioning as I was very impressed by it, and wanted to note his efforts.

AgentC was an inspiration in a way..

 So there it is...


 Now that you have built some technology for making 'laser sense' out of ordinary images from a camera, see what you can do with these classics...

[drlava]

Dean, I think you might be missing the point here a little.  There is lots of software that can take still images and convert them to ILDA, that's been done and done.  Even inkscape with ILD SOS can do that.  The uniqueness here is this is LIVE VIDEO.  With live video your mind can make sense and interpret depth and subject out of the motion of curves and lines on a screen!  For example the kingly image you have there - The laser lines version of it looks like a guy in a pointy hat raising his hands under a canopy but you can't tell if he's KKK or the Pope or what until he moves around to give context to the lines.  That's the beauty and benefit of video animation. 

[meandean]

Dean, I think you might be missing the point here a little.  There is lots of software that can take still images and convert them to ILDA

  Fine and dandy- but some apps do a better job than others; so impress me- I don't care if it's a still image or a live camera...

[James]

If you ever come to my house again, I can impress the crap out of you with his app.

Once you see it, you'll get why this is such a nifty thing to add to the art of laser display.

He makes a good point. An individual frame from this technique is NOTHING. Seeing it LIVE and at a high frame rate is what it's all about. In that way, it is similar to an ultra-sound. One frame is sometimes impossible to make out, but in the flow of motion your brain can make it into a recognizable 3D image.

James. 

[no-esc]

I hope i can get my projector working for this weekend.. This would be hella fun to play with at the party...

[Gadget]

Hi Dr Lava, just ordered a copy from you. I don't think you need to provide a discount at that price :-)

[no-esc]

Will this work with the new FSX2.0 Norms Dac 2.0 as well as a sound card dac?

[drlava]

Norm's DAC is a no but it does support the sound card DAC, RIYA controllers, EasyLase controllers, and then the QM2000 in the 'Pro' version.  The demo video was done with a sound card DAC.