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Since no satire site has so far taken responsibility for a new YouTube video that shows a man named Francois Vogel, a French filmmaker and visual artist, using a bizarre glasses-free 3D technology that relies on electrodes to stimulate the user’s eyelids, we are assuming that it is legit. That said, it may very well turn out to be a hoax. The video was posted last Friday and now stands on the verge of being watched 3 million times.
But if convenience or lack of it is what bothers you about 3D shutter glasses, then this technology is unlikely to be of any help to you. In the video, Vogel uses a couple of electrodes to stimulate his eyelids to bat very, very rapidly, effectively eliminating the need for shutter glasses.
According to Vogel, the technology is still in its infancy and he hopes to have the final version ready in time for CES 2012. He also mentions the need for a 120Hz display for this technology to work.
Correction: The man in the video is actually named Francois Vogel and not Jonathan Post as originally reported.
Comments are closed on this article
TechLarry
January 20, 2011 at 2:23pm
Instead of flippy 3d glasses lenses, you use flippy eyelids.
What a farce!
joe2
January 19, 2011 at 5:06pm
i don't understand how anyone with common sense and tech savvy would think this is possible at all.
there are about 10 reasons this is obviously fake:
1. the little attachments look like finished products, not lab prototypes
2. the little attachments are wireless
3. it takes 1/10th of a second to blink, not 1/120th of a second. the fastest recorded physical movements are in the 1/15th of a second realm. there is no way our eyes could blink anywhere near that fast, even with stimulation
4. even if they could, imagine the friction and dryness that would result. you would damage the surface of your eyes quickly
5. how can a tiny device attached to the temple possibly control the correct muscles? the face has over 100 muscles.
6. how could it provide enough power to physically move your eyelids that much? it's not free energy, it would require electricity. even a small amount at 120Hz adds up, it would need a power source
7. conventional glasses match the refresh rate of the screen so your eye sees 100% of the screen. with this "system" there are 4 steps to each frame refresh: eyes open, eyes closing, eyes closed, eyes opening. your eyes would be half-open half the time. either the picture would have to be blank most of the time or the 3d effect would suck, not to mention trying to watch a movie out of half-open eyes wouldn't look very good anyway.
need i go on?
Taz0
January 20, 2011 at 10:44am
Except for your first reason (it was intentionally made to look like a prototype with a DIP chip and LED sticking out), I agree.
Also, the remote controls he uses are a joke. They look like A/C remote controls with the batteries taken out (the screens are blank), and there's no reason why he would need two, let alone one. They're purely for dramatic and comic effect. This is not a hoax - this is a joke that was never meant to be taken seriously.
mesiah
January 19, 2011 at 10:09pm
Not that this isn't completely fake or at the least a horrible idea, but you would be surprised how small of a discharge it takes to induce muscle contractions. Just take the taser for example. Although it is extremely high voltage, the amperage is tiny and therefore it doesn't require a large power source to completely immobilize a grown man.
Other than that, I agree with most of what you said. This product can't or at least shouldn't be real. If it ever did make it to the market it would have to cause serious injury to long time users.
nHeroGo
January 19, 2011 at 4:36pm
...with Trim Jeans Theatre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYvz1-ThCHY
logicmaster2003
January 19, 2011 at 2:45pm
he kinda look-alike the cross-betweens of Jesus Christ and Osama B.L.
nhskier4life
January 19, 2011 at 12:51pm
Francois is actually Michael Gross who played the dad Steven Keaton on the TV Series Family Ties. Someone posted this in the youtube comments. Google image it.
jgrimoldy
January 19, 2011 at 1:59pm
Though he may look similar to how Michael looked back in the day, Michael Gross the actor is 64 years old. There is NO WAY that the guy in that video is 64. You got just as punked as MaxPC
Enchilada
January 19, 2011 at 4:35pm
Seriously... that dude is 900 year old.
Besides the actor in the video is CLEARLY James Franco.
psoon
January 19, 2011 at 12:41pm
Wow, do you notice what's happening to the eye lids?! Its not natural! Might be OK for short durations, certainly not for the duration of an average movie.
burntjuggalas
January 19, 2011 at 10:37am
the single biggest problem with this idea is that the eye muscles would get extremely fatigued and after an extended amount of time watching tv this way (which admit it, most if not all americans watch a ton of TV) your eye lids may feel extremely weak and there for you cant blink that well or even open your eyes.
Scootiep
January 19, 2011 at 8:22am
Yeah, this was never going to happen guys. Attaching electrodes to your eyes for the masses to experience glasses-free 3d? Not now, not ever.
