Canada's filmmaker Rob Spence

Canada's filmmaker Rob Spence, who lost his right eye when he was a child, shows a prototype of a prosthetic eye which will be transformed into a video camera, during a conference in Brussels March 5, 2009. Spence, director and producer in Toronto, said he would use the eye-cam the same way he uses a video camera to carry out the so-called "EyeBorg Project". In using his eye as a wireless video camera, Spence wants to make a documentary about how video and humanity intersect especially with regards to surveillance.

Canadian filmmaker plans to shoot with camera in eye

11/03/2009 6:31:00 AM

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BRUSSELS - A one-eyed Canadian documentary filmmaker is preparing to work with a video camera concealed inside a prosthetic eye, hoping to secretly record people for a project commenting on the global spread of surveillance cameras.

Torontonian Rob Spence's eye was damaged in a childhood shooting accident and it was removed three years ago. Now, he is in the final stages of developing a camera to turn the handicap into an advantage.

A fan of the 1970s televsion series "The Six Million Dollar Man," Spence said he had an epiphany when looking at his cellphone camera and realizing something that small could fit into his empty eye socket.MORE,CLICK HERE...

This fascinates me mostly because i too have an artificial eye. I sure would like to come home at the end of a day outdoors and download images to my PC that i observed through the day. Now while out on an ATV ride or walk i have to stop and take the camera out,focus and shoot. At times the subject is long gone but with this little contraption i could capture it. Of course this technology will not be researched for that purpose but to help the vision impaired to see. Sure would be great just the same to have one!

This Story intrigues me.

Here's a story from ABC News.

'Bionic' Pair Seeks Webcams for Eyes

Tech Experts Say Outfitting an Artificial Eye With a Minicam Is Possible

By KI MAE HEUSSNER
Nov. 19, 2008

A San Francisco artist sent ripples through the blogosphere when she posted a "call for engineers" on her Web site, asking for advice on replacing an artificial eye with a webcam.

(Courtesy Rob Spence)

But now it seems that the bionic Eve has found her Adam, so to speak.

On Tuesday, a Canadian documentary filmmaker launched a blog to announce that he is already pursuing that goal and plans to have a working prototype by Christmas.

"Like Tanya Vlach, the 'bionic woman' to my 'bionic man,' I lost an eye and want to replace it with a wireless webcam eye. I chatted with her and I think we are going to work together," Rob Spence wrote on his blog.

Rob's blog (EYEBORG) here.

Maintenance time

This week i get some scheduled maintenance on my ocular prosthesis or as i prefer to call it,my artificial eye. Before i had one i called it a glass eye but i doubt if they exist here in North America anymore. Artificial eyes today are usually made of plastic. (acrylic) Custom artificial eyes are hand-crafted by highly skilled ocularists (eye makers) to precisely match the look of the natural eye. It's a procedure that usually requires several trips over two days to the Ocularist. With todays eyes the wearer does not have to remove it for months at a time. I do it more often because i spend a lot of time outdoors and sometimes pick up a few things that might irritate it. At first i wondered how it would be in some of the outdoor conditions but later found out i didn't have to worry. I been out riding the ATV in -35 C with the wind chill and it had no effect at all. So here's a video today for those who wonder how they're made and it might look painful to some but you don't feel a thing.