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Holograms Help Protect Super Bowl

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the three-inches-to-your-left-and-straight-ahead dept.

Apache4857 writes to tell us CNet is reporting that Homeland Security agents monitoring the Superbowl will be doing so in 3D. Using streams from two cameras, the LifeVision 3D system is able to project images onto a 20-inch screen that is equipped with a depth tube. This depth tube makes images appear to rise 30 inches off the screen and sink 30 inches into the screen allowing real world volumes and distances to be displayed accurately. Using this system security officials will be able to search sidewalks, monitor faces, and even peer under vehicles.

13 of 287 comments (clear)

  1. And in related news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jem and the Holograms will perform at the half-time show.

  2. But still... by imsabbel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    this isnt a hologram.
    (i know hologram sounds cool, but you cannot call any crap that has some stereoscopic view that way)

    --
    HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
  3. 3-D viewing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe the agents just want to view the wardrobe malfunctions in 3-D.

  4. I don't get it by g253 · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is massively cool and all, but how is it helpful to peer under vehicles? You don't need 3D for that, and 3D won't help if the cameras are too high above ground... Anyway, they'll just use it to peer under skirts, like we would.

  5. Cool tech, but.... by Vengeance_au · · Score: 5, Funny

    What the hell is this technology doing being deployed in a security role? The rule is : ALL COOL TECH IS DEVELOPED FOR PORN! It then trickles down into other mundane uses, like saving our lives.

  6. Thank God! by RyatNrrd · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nothing is too elaborate to protect us from Janet's Terror-Boobs!

  7. Gosh, how terribly impressive! by imipak · · Score: 5, Insightful
    but, astonishing as it sounds, terrorists watch TV, too. No doubt the people physically at the Superbowl are a little bit safer (and probably feel a bit safer, as well) for all this techno. Sadly, however, the hypothetical station-wagon full of stereotypical evil bearded Muslim fundamentalists (possibly with swords between their teeth and eyepatches? Who dares imagine what shapes the great American subconscious dreams...) - anyway, they're going to screech to a halt in a cloud of rubber. "Mustapha, you son of an infidel! The place is swarming with cops. Curses!!!!!!" *twirls moustache furiously for a moment* "I know, we'll do it next Saturday, at the Denver Earthworms vs. Seattle Turnipfarmers game, instead. Bwaa,hahahahaha!"

    Net result in security: nil.

    Bruce Schneier has some excellent things to say about "security" measures that defend against movie-plot threats. If you don't read Crypto-Gram yet, go sign yourself up, and learn how counter-intuitive reality can be.

    (You might also think about how little you should trust your own intuition, and then deduce things about people who boast of theirs... but I don't want to interfere with domestic political matters :)

  8. B*lls**t by scdeimos · · Score: 5, Interesting
    "For the military, it can offer much better facial recognition," Fischbach said. "Instead of looking at a two-dimensional photo, you're looking at an entire head."
    Anyone who's worked on stereoscopic vision (which is all that this is) will tell you this is crap. With a pair of cameras mounted like "eyes" (5-15cm apart) you're still only seeing one side of the object. The depth information is extremely helpful in feature extraction, but you're still only seeing one side of the object.
  9. Protecting an obvious target by Shihar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is a fucking high porfile ball game with tens of thousands of people attending it and being watched by hundreds millions of people. If you want to kill a lot of people and have it seen live on TV around the world, the Super Bowl is the place to do it. You couldn't pick a better target in terms of mass death and live coverage. They are not protecting it because they love football. They are protecting it because it is a big gleeming target with a bulls eye on it.

  10. Terrorists obviously want to attack the Superbowl by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    because we think it is important. So we pour millions of dollars in taxpayer funded security when the terrorists might as well go to the basketball game next door (or a mall) to do their dirty work. Not only is it easier but we end up buying useless 3D remote cameras to look under cars. I swear the government has been watching too much TV about govt. super agents.

  11. Terror defense by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Require everyone to eat a strip of bacon before they're allowed in

  12. Homeland Security Purchase Order by sabNetwork · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sir, uh, we need $150,000 for a holographic 3D TV to watch the Superbowl on. For uh, national security.

    Oh yeah, and... we need $1,000 for a large order of chicken wings. Those bad guys might try to poison those. We want to be the first to know.

    And some beer. No reason for that one, just thought I'd ask.

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  13. Re:No lasers mentioned. by dr_dank · · Score: 5, Funny

    I am a holographic engineer.

    Awesome! Just like the holographic doctor from Voyager.

    Do you work if you get removed from engineering?

    --
    Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?