Better than the real thing
a see-all camera has been developed that is as good as eyes in the back of one's head. The Omnicamera, developed by Shree K Nayar, associate professor, department of computer science, Columbia University, New York, views in every direction at once, leaving nothing out of view. But the real utility of this electronic eye lies in the innovative optical design. This allows the viewer to zoom in on parts of the fish-eye picture and enjoy true-perspective images.
Nayar has applied for a patent for the Omnicamera. He says there is great scope for the back-watching appliance. It combines a standard video camera with a domed polished-steel mirror. The camera looks down on the mirror, which reflects a hemispheric view of its surroundings.
The key to the Omnicamera is the parabolic curve of the mirror. It causes the light rays reflected into the camera's lens to appear to have come from a single point, mimicking a conventional pin-hole camera. Because the outside world is seen from this single viewpoint, the Omnivideo computer software can construct undistorted images of chosen parts. The viewer can use a joystick to scan the whole image.
A single Omnicamera can scan half-a-sphere of vision; but mounting two cameras back-to-back