every cheap korean webcam included software can do this.

Any noise in the background makes it useless.

There are some apps that remove the background, others that add snow to the foreground elements. panning the background and foreground is clever. but it’s nothing but a simple filter to those kind of apps. nothing groundbreaking. and rather useless btw.

If there’s a window nearby and a cloud passes, or it someone walks behind the first person, then all image get’s all shitty

This is a first step. With the proliferation of built in webcams on laptops, netbooks, UMPCs and all kinds of other shit that has Internet, its not too much of a stretch to ask for TWO webcams, on either side. They are pretty cheap!(The webcams)

Theoretically, you can use the above technology, and a well written, Skype, MSN or more professional video conference clone, to take the two images, use the ideas above and get a TRUE three-dimensional picture that is not affected by the things that mr. gabreil talked about (when the background changes).

I would like to see this happen, i think it would be very cool. Also there is the problem, of when (in this first iteration) when u move the camera view, there is black space which looks really unpro.

All in all its a cool idea, that probably could be marketed if you where able to make the software above, remove the bugs and got the appropriate hardware. im thinking two webcams cannabilised into one piece of plastic, with an incorporated USB-Hub i order to have only one usb cable for the end user.

This shit could sell, and also be super cool, and revolusionise the way we video conference.(to say nothing of “other” webcam activities that we may or may not engage in).

http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/05/minoru-3d-webcam-ships-this-week-still-looks-freaky?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_engadget

CRAPFUCK! Already done man!!! Im upset, oh well i shoulda known better, but still its not implemented in the way i said but still its there, if expensive and useless in its current form :(

That’s really crazy. I love to see technology being used in creative (new) ways.

Johnny Lee’s Wiimote head tracking is actually a little more realistic given it’s rendered in 3-d depending on the person’s head position and can show things not visible from a straight-on view. This system cannot, and simply rotates/slides two fields being the subject and the background. It’s nifty but certainly nowhere near 3-d and with no visible benefits over standard video chat. If they can make it extrapolate edges and render similarly-colored pixels to extend edges of ’3-d’ objects, then I would be impressed.

how about putting a transparent camera in the middle of the screen so you can actually have eye contact?

awesome.

I agree the black area that shows is pretty annoying

a simple fix.. although not perfect would be to scale the background larger then the containing window enough to where you don’t see the black edges then you would actually see LESS than normal , BUT you would actually be able to look left and right to see the rest of the background and you wouldn’t get that stupid flat plane floating in space effect on the background and it might seem more like you are actually in the room with the person.

note… I do agree that 2 cameras would make a much better 3D effect, but my advise is just for improving the basic one camera 3d effect depicted here.

@munden,

The head bobbing and weaving was for demonstrative purposes only. What this really does is tries to make the natural head movements seem more natural to the participants.

I’d love to try this because I think it might make videoconferencing more natural.