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Weird webcam mod that enables eye-contact conversation

Name: Weird webcam mod that enables eye-contact conversation
Uploaded: 2020-05-27T10:45:00Z
Duration: 13 min 28 s
Channel: DIY Perks
Description: DIY Perks demonstrates how to build a teleprompter-style webcam enclosure using a two-way mirror to enable direct eye contact during video calls.

DIY Perks

4.9M subscribers • 2 videos on Hallway

YouTube

Recommended by 5 people: 5 on Hacker News.

Beginner. No background in the topic needed.

1.6M views6 years ago5 recommendations

Hardware Electronics

DIY Perks demonstrates how to build a teleprompter-style webcam enclosure using a two-way mirror to enable direct eye contact during video calls.

This handy little modification can allow you to make eye-contact with people over the internet. It’s pretty neat! Also, with Honey, you can get the best deals while shopping online: joinhoney.com/diyperks - it's FREE and finds coupons for you with just one click. Webcam wiring up guide: youtu.be/C8pFkhkTvqo DIY Perks Extra: youtube.com/channel/UC177ji4tmDiLlW5iKyfJShA/ Like my work? Consider supporting the channel on Patreon: patreon.com/diyperks Parts links: Disclosure: These are affiliate links. If you click them and make a purchase from the various merchants they link to, DIY Perks may earn a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to the eBay Partner Network and Amazon Associates. Two-way mirror: amzn.to/2TJ4Jc0 Foamboard: amzn.to/3c3aTKB Need help finding webcams? rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5575117… UK Link: rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5575117… You can even make a CCTV system from them: youtube.com/watch?v=CouxmNqxO4A OFFICIAL LINKS: Support me on Patreon: patreon.com/DIYPerks/ Official Website: diyperks.com/ Discord: diyperks.com/discord-server/ Forums: diyperks.com/community/ Twitter: twitter.com/DIYPerks

Why it's here

5 people recommend this

What people say. Recommended as a clever and practical DIY solution for maintaining eye contact during video conferences.

ccurrenson Hacker News • 6 years agoRecommends

On “DIY True 4K Projector”

I agree! I particularly liked the one using a two-way plastic mirror and webcam, so that you can maintain eye contact when you're video calling someone. Similar principal to a teleprompter. link to this video

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enobrevon Hacker News • 6 years agoRecommends

On “Video chats short-circuit a brain function essential for trust?”

I don't think I'll be trying this, but it's a really interesting DIY solution to ensuring eye contact when video conferencing. link to this video

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michaelbuckbeeon Hacker News • 6 years agoRecommends

On “Video chats short-circuit a brain function essential for trust?”

There's a neat DIY project to try to overcome this: link to this video TL;DW - use some cardboard a two way mirror and an external webcam to make a box you place over your laptop so that it lines up the camera + your eyes.

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rahimnathwanion Hacker News • 5 years agoRecommends

On “Cheap and simple way to mount a smartphone directly above a laptop display”

The 'DIY Perks' channel on YouTube has a nice solution to maintain eye contact: link to this video You can't mount a webcam in the middle of your laptop display, as even a small camera and thin cable would get in the way of looking at the screen. But using a two-way mirror, you can be looking at both the screen and the webcam at the same time, without the webcam being visible to you.

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itronitronon Hacker News • 5 years agoRecommends

On “The Fatiguing Effects of Camera Use in Virtual Meetings [pdf]”

This video shows a project to create a one-way mirror that allows a person to view their monitor while 'looking at' the camera. link to this video If I was planning to do any interviews I would definitely build and use this. It also makes me wonder, when people are staring into the camera if they are looking at a photo instead of the camera lens.

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karmakazeon Hacker News • 6 years agoMentions

On “Ask HN: Is there a camera that is aligned with a screen?”

Yes, there's multiple ways of doing it. DIY-Perks has a webcam mod0 using 2-way mirror. The other way is using a microLED display. A microLED is so compact/bright that you can leave spaces between elements and can be 50% transparent or more looking from behind. Alternatively Optical/sensor elements could be interspersed with the microLED elements giving as good an image quality as can be achieved based on the area used. 0 link to this video

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taconon Hacker News • 5 years agoMentions

On “Why webcams aren’t good enough”

…that problem. I ran across a video that showed how to create an actual direct eye to eye contact effect, using a half-silvered mirror and parts from a laptop webcam0. I started shopping for a used laptop webcam part, and then realized I have never seen laptops rated by their webcams, so it is almost a shot in the dark to get something good. 0 link to this video…

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tux1968on Hacker News • 5 years agoMentions

On “Higher quality audio makes people sound smarter”

There are devices you can buy for a few hundred that place the image of the person you're talking to directly in front of the camera. That way you can look at who you're talking to while also looking directly into the camera. link There are also a lot of homebrew DIY versions of the same device: link to this video

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BeefWellingtonon Hacker News • 4 years agoMentions

On “Using a "proper" camera as a webcam”

The Youtube channel DIY Perks has a video making essentially a homemade teleprompter mod for a laptop with very cheap materials.1 I've thought about getting a proper teleprompter but my issue there would be screen space and lighting. Has this worked well with a decently inexpensive webcam or do you use a full-on streaming/production type camera setup? 1: link to this video

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karmakazeon Hacker News • 2 years agoMentions

On “Why did words that end in "tron" once sound so futuristic? (2017)”

DIY Perks' Interrotron0 Btw "Tron" the movies are a reference to the BASIC debugging command TRON/TROFF for trace on/off. 0 link to this video

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ortusduxon Hacker News • 4 months agoMentions

On “Building a custom mount for a telescoping webcam”

External USB C monitors are getting cheap enough to make a dedicated 2-way mirror teleprompter style webcam setup reasonable. link to this video

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