Filmmaker's 'bionic eye camera' vision becoming reality: Plans to replace eye with video camera

Nov 20, 2008 (The Monterey County Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- NOK | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- If you find yourself in a conversation with Toronto filmmaker Rob Spence a few months from now, remember to smile -- you're probably on camera.

Today at the 6Sight Imaging Conference in Monterey, Spence will discuss how he's turning his prosthetic eye into a wireless video camera -- and his plan to turn the eyes of George Orwell's Thought Police back at Big Brother.

Spence, 36, lost vision in his right eye at the age of 11, when he was shooting cow patties in Ireland with his grandfather's shotgun and the gun backfired. He wore a patch for most of his life, until finally having the eye removed a few years ago and replacing it with a prosthetic. Adding a camera to the prosthetic was the logical next step, said Spence.

"I think this idea occurs naturally to everyone who has a fake eye," he said. "We're all so gadget-obsessed. And here, you've lost something, but then, especially if you make films like me, you can turn the loss into a gain."

Spence began searching for ways to bring his vision to light.

"At first I thought it'd be pretty quick. I called up my friend at Nokia, because I thought I could just put one of their little cameras in. But it turns out they don't know how to do that. They outsource all of that and it's hard to track down."

Spence quickly ran into other roadblocks -- not only would he need a small, lightweight camera, but he wanted it to power and transmit information wirelessly. Moreover, he needed an artificial

eyeball that could be opened and closed to make adjustments and maintain the camera -- a tall order for an ocularist.

First cyborg

Before long, Spence found someone empathetic to his idea: Steve Mann, an electrical engineer at University of Toronto often described as the first cyborg. For more than 25 years, Mann has immersed himself in electronics, strapping cameras, computers, recorders and wireless transmitters to his body.

In their collaboration, Spence is responsible for "encouraging the nerd excitement factor. I get people to send me samples of their devices and technologies, then I hand these things to Steve Mann and he tinkers with them in his insane scientist lab," Spence said.

Mann is more than a self-experimenting cyborg: he is also known for his stance against surveillance. He believes wearing computers and cameras can help people level the power dynamic, an idea that galvanized Spence.

Spence is now making a documentary about his eye's transformation into a surveillance camera, hoping to explore the implications of society's increasing levels of surveillance.

"We're just sort of sleepwalking into an Orwellian surveillance society," he said. "In Toronto, they're putting up 12,000 new surveillance cameras and no one really cares. No one's reacting to this."

Spence wants to raise awareness of these issues and inspire activism, and believes his camera-eye gives him a unique opportunity to do so.

"It hits home because it's an eye, not just a camera. There's something about that idea. It's not necessarily a logical connection but it's there, and it intrigues people."

'Little Brother'

He also hopes his camera-eye will help him become a "Little Brother" -- someone to watch the watchers.

"Why only have the state watching? Normal people can watch too. It's empowering. It will give us a Rodney King sort of thing," he explained.

Spence plans to use his camera to give him a unique ability to capture the world in his documentaries, as well, filming people and actions covertly.

Spence and Mann are working on a prototype camera-eye, which Spence believes will be working by January or February. The camera will transmit the video signal to a transmission booster, worn on his belt, which would transmit the data into a receiver in a portable hard drive.

Other people who have lost an eye have shown interest in their work. Last week, San Francisco-based artist Tanya Vlach called out to engineers on her blog, asking for help in implanting a miniature camera in her prosthetic eye. Her appeal spread virally through the Web and eventually reached Spence.

"She's about where I was about five years ago," he said. "She has the idea and is searching for the technology."

Spence thinks the device he creates with Mann will be able to help Vlach. The two will meet for the first time at 6Sight, where Spence also hopes to tap into the leading minds in the field of cameras and imaging.

Spence plans to record sound as well, but just by wearing a microphone, perhaps concealed in a flower in his lapel, he says.

"I'm not going to cut off my ear or anything," Spence said. "That technology is pretty good already."

Lizzie Buchen can be reached at mhcity@montereyherald.com or 648-1171.

Rob Spece's blog: eyeborg.blogspot.com/

Video of eye being removed: www.dailymotion.com/video/k4KZcvfFsmURmoQuo1

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