It is difficult to keep privacy in a world of cameras everywhere. The problem has seeped into our homes too— through various surveillance devices such as baby monitors, webcams and even autonomous vacuum cleaners. This ongoing surveillance can lead to undesired invasion of privacy, like having a Roomba record embarrassing moments that later find their way onto social media.
A groundbreaking approach to this dilemma has been concocted by the engineers at the University of Michigan (U-M): introducing the PrivacyLens camera. This unique contraption marries a regular video camera with a heat-sensing sibling, which together suss out a person’s existence by latching onto body warmth. The magic unfolds within the camera’s electronics that sculpt an individual’s image into a stick figure; mirroring movements in real-time sans any data transmission. This on-board choreography guarantees no identifiable pictures waltz off to the cloud— thus, privacy is zealously safeguarded without holding smart devices hostage at functionality-point. Sit tight and watch as this innovation unravels its potential: evolving beyond teething problems into a market disruptor with user-centric design at its core.
PrivacyLens has significant implications for individuals with chronic conditions, enabling them to utilize health-monitoring devices without sacrificing their privacy. Yasha Iravantchi, a doctoral student at U-M, highlights the ethical dilemma of balancing privacy with the benefits of chronic care technology. PrivacyLens offers a solution by capturing essential medical data while maintaining patient confidentiality.
The device also features a sliding privacy scale, allowing users to adjust the level of censorship based on their location within the home. According to Alanson Sample, U-M associate professor and study co-author, this customization is crucial as privacy preferences vary depending on the context. For instance, users might prefer to blur only their faces in the kitchen but opt for full-body removal in other areas.
Beyond home use, PrivacyLens has potential applications in public spaces where identifying individuals is unnecessary but monitoring their presence and activities is essential. This could include autonomous vehicle cameras or outdoor data collection by companies. The development team has filed a provisional patent for PrivacyLens, aiming for a commercial release, and Iravantchi will present the device at the Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium in Bristol, U.K., this week.
