# Documentary filmmaker plans to use eyeball cam **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 11, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-filmmaker-plans-to-use-eyeball-cam/489120 "2009-03-11T20:02:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-filmmaker-plans-to-use-eyeball-cam/489120/1 "2009-03-11T20:02:08Z")
A Canadian documentary filmmaker, who only has one working eye, is building a camera into a prosthetic eyeball so that he can take video from his other eye socket: > **[Breaking News - Headlines & Top Stories | The Star](https://www.thestar.com/)** > > thestar.com is Canada’s largest online news site. Live news, investigations, politics, sports and the heartbeat of Toronto, Canada's largest city. No word about the audio. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-filmmaker-plans-to-use-eyeball-cam/489120/2 "2009-03-14T19:22:46Z")
Foretold in The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe by D.G. Compton in 1974! ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-filmmaker-plans-to-use-eyeball-cam/489120/3 "2009-03-14T20:08:40Z")
I’m amazed that no one has done this yet. I think it will suck as a documentary though. The quality probably won’t be all that great and he’ll be blinking over the camera every few seconds. Sound quality will suck because he’s trying to keep the equipment secret. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-filmmaker-plans-to-use-eyeball-cam/489120/4 "2009-03-14T23:43:31Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I’m amazed that no one has done this yet. > > I think it will suck as a documentary though. The quality probably won’t be all that great and he’ll be blinking over the camera every few seconds. Sound quality will suck because he’s trying to keep the equipment secret. Small wireless microphones can be easily hidden under clothes. Which I just did this morning, and there were no complaints on sound quality from the DP. Aside from the blinking issue, I imagine the video quality would be at least as good, if not better, than the standard purse-cam that news reporters use for their expose news stories. It won’t be sleek and shiny like high-quality film in a steadicam, but it won’t be worse than other documentary footage we’ve seen. This is so very very cool. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-filmmaker-plans-to-use-eyeball-cam/489120/5 "2009-03-15T00:34:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Foretold in The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe by D.G. Compton in 1974! Not to mention the David compton novel (and Harvel Keitel) movie **Death Watch** [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081182/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081182/) ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-filmmaker-plans-to-use-eyeball-cam/489120/6 "2009-03-15T00:48:36Z")
You think that’s crazy, check [this](http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/22039/?a=f) out. > [@](#): > > A giant flower beetle with implanted electrodes and a radio receiver on its back can be wirelessly controlled, according to research presented this week. Scientists at the University of California developed a tiny rig that receives control signals from a nearby computer. Electrical signals delivered via the electrodes command the insect to take off, turn left or right, or hover in midflight. The research, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), could one day be used for surveillance purposes or for search-and-rescue missions… > …Most previous research in controlling insect flight has focused on moths. But beetles have certain advantages. The giant flower beetle’s size–it ranges in weight from four to ten grams and is four to eight centimeters long–means that it can carry relatively heavy payloads. To be used for search-and-rescue missions, for example, the insect would need to carry a small camera and heat sensor. Remote control, camera loaded insects. Gives “bugging” a room a whole new meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-filmmaker-plans-to-use-eyeball-cam/489120/7 "2009-03-16T04:50:27Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Not to mention the David compton novel (and Harvel Keitel) movie **Death Watch** > > [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081182/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081182/) As far as I know, **Death Watch** was a filming of the Compton novel _The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe_. As so often happens, I presume the novel got renamed after the movie came out. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-filmmaker-plans-to-use-eyeball-cam/489120/8 "2009-03-16T06:40:02Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I’m amazed that no one has done this yet. > > I think it will suck as a documentary though. The quality probably won’t be all that great and he’ll be blinking over the camera every few seconds. Sound quality will suck because he’s trying to keep the equipment secret. Is there a blink reflex for a fake eyeball? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-filmmaker-plans-to-use-eyeball-cam/489120/9 "2009-03-16T07:01:34Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Is there a blink reflex for a fake eyeball? All the people I’ve ever met who had glass eyes blinked them. It would be very, very freaky if they only blinked the one, don’t you think ? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-filmmaker-plans-to-use-eyeball-cam/489120/10 "2009-03-16T07:36:35Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > No word about the audio. Isn’t it obvious where a microphone-shaped device should be placed?