Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
Cogito, ergo sumthin'

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


                       

Bagpipe Goggles

Vision system
  (+2)
(+2)
  [vote for,
against]

I have better sight in one eye than the other so when I am not wearing my glasses I close the bad eye to be able to read. I just noticed that, if I close the good eye, keep the bad eye open, and turn my head in the direction of the bad eye, keep looking at the screen, and view the text on the screen through the apparent aura around the curve of my nose, that the text becomes clear.

I am thinking that this must be because of some kind of lensing effect, similar to the one that extra solar planet searchers use to determine the content of the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet as it passes in front of a star.

So I ask myself, and this is where my lack of proper scientific training really kicks into gear, "Why not just pass the equivalent of a bunch of extrasolar planets in front of your eyes to take advantage of this lensing effect? You need a significantly curved surface like your nose which is pretty big and you need a lot of them so you can see everywhere at once, so they should be moving so you can cover a lot of space so they should be really light so it doesn't take a lot of energy to move them, and you want a lo-tech sustainable form of energy to drive the movement. I know, how about a bunch of nose sized ping-pong balls bouncing around inside a clear helmet or diving mask, kept moving by a bag pipe like bellows working either off your breath or off a pump driven by your movement.

I also remember that surfers use this lensing effect to see waves far off in the distance by squeezing a space between the pads of each articulation of the index finger and using it as a lo-tech telescope.

I don't know what you call this effect. There may be something much simpler out there that exploits this effect like maybe polarized glasses.

On second thought might change this to: "bagpipe-driven ping- pong-ball helmet". It could be like a space helmet, and there could be enough ping pong balls moving fast enough to effect your vision, driven by the bellows, without it being so many and them moving with enough force to annoy you to death.

JesusHChrist, Mar 08 2014

Collimator http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collimator
Useful. [8th of 7, Mar 08 2014]

Knife-edge test http://en.wikipedia...ult_knife-edge_test
one application [mitxela, Mar 08 2014]

Pinhole glasses http://en.wikipedia...iki/Pinhole_glasses
Something much simpler out there that exploits this effect. [spidermother, Mar 08 2014]

Inuit Snow Goggles http://en.wikipedia.../Inuit_snow_goggles
[JesusHChrist, Mar 11 2014]


Please log in.
If you're not logged in, you can see what this page looks like, but you will not be able to add anything.



Annotation:







       You're using the bridge of your nose as something similar to a pinhole lens, I think - filtering out most of the incoming light so that what remains needs no focussing?
david_scothern, Mar 08 2014
  

       //I don't know what you call this effect. //   

       "collimation" ?   

       <link>
8th of 7, Mar 08 2014
  

       You've decreased your aperture and hence increased your depth of field.   

       One interesting use of a non-radial decrease in aperture is the knife-edge test, used for polishing aspherical mirrors.
mitxela, Mar 08 2014
  

       Surely this just demonstrates the efficacy of replacing glasses with a pair of false noses on frames.....   

       <imagines the scene at the opticians>.."So, if the fourth line clearer with the Sarkosi or the Adrien Brody?"
not_morrison_rm, Mar 08 2014
  

       <<pinhole glasses>>   

       Yes those are much simpler, but nowhere near as stupid as my idea.
JesusHChrist, Mar 08 2014
  

       ^ [marked-for-tagline]
8th of 7, Mar 08 2014
  

       I'll see you that and raise you one -   

       " this is where my lack of proper scientific training really kicks into gear "   

       Cool tagline fodder aside, this is a great idea. I mean great like Abraham Lincoln, or the invention of beer.
normzone, Mar 08 2014
  


 

back: main index

business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle