Cygraphy Easel

Cybernetic Photographic Lightpaintings made easy, fun, and interactive

  1. Invention title: Cygraphy (Cybernetic Photography) Easel; S. Mann has registed cygraphy.com, cyborgraphy.com, and cyberneticphotography.com, which can be also used as invention titles.
  2. Summary explanation -- how it works:
    This is an invention made by S. Mann with his 8-year old daughter makes photographic lightpainting (moving a light bulb around to make long exposure pictures) fun and easy and interactive.

    The product comprises a light bulb attached to a pencil which is used to draw on a metal plate. The light bulb is connected to the pencil with a small battery in the pencil, so that when the pencil touches the plate, the electric circuit is completed to make the light glow.

    In this way, whatever is drawn on the metal plate is also "drawn" in light with a long exposure photograph.

    Typically the metal plate sits on an easel, with a camera looking down at the easel, and the camera's shutter is also connected so that it opens automatically when a "light drawing" is made.

  3. Example commercial applications:
    Photography, toys, children's products, educational products, commercial and fine-art photography, and imaging. Can also be used to author and create interactive 3D AR (Augmediated Reality) assets and art works.
  4. Link to technical papers associated with the invention: Computational Lightpainting and Wearable Computational Photography.
    Related non-technical photographic examples: Cybernetic Photography
  5. Patent applications filed or issued: Patent pending. A provisional US patent, with full set of claims, was filed Sunday2014may04. There is still time to file a PCT or to file in other countries, before the 1 year "grace period" is up on 2015 May 04. Other previous patents (related) have already been granted.
  6. Prototypes constructed: A nice-looking and fully functional prototype has been constructed by S. Mann with his 8-year old daughter, and is now in use at the Mann residence. It is available for loan to interested parties.
  7. Further notes: The scope of this invention may be broadened to encompass various forms of computational lightpainting and abakographic image processing, including 3D AR (Augmediated Reality).

    Objects created using cygraphy can be used as assets in 3D AR gaming, as well as simple abakographic user-interfaces like information conduits in 3D AR environments:

    Extend this work further by joining forces with Jayse Hansen, the creator of the User Intrfaces in Hunger Games, Ender's Game, and Iron Man, and now a member of our team at Meta, makers of Spaceglasses.

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