All primates like to look at themselves in a mirror. At each entrance, you set up a camera that faces the person as he/she walks in. They instantly see themselves on a large TV screen (which happens to be where the camera is positioned) and for a second or two they will gaze toward the camera. From right beside the camera an invisible infrared beam shines into their eyes, which reflects off their retinae. (Yes, like the red eye effect you see in some photographs.) Using the right filtration, you could isolate and count the number of these reflections that pass through the system. Most people will produce two such dots. If you need to get them to look away so the next person coming up gets counted without interference from the first, use two TVs and switch their pictures so each moving primate stays interested in his/her own visage. Count the glowing beads and divide by two. Run some tests using hand clickers and get some idea of how accurate the system is. Throw in some bells and whistles near the camera(s) and you could even get the babies to look up from their strollers. Put up a FREE BEER sign next to the camera and, dude, I'm there.
Mark
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
It might be the Information Age but the Eon of Ignorance has yet to end.
@ElectricAye
Wow. Retinal scanners. I like the sound of that. Although the theory sound easy (like to get to the moon: just launch a rocket), I think that it would be very difficult to implementate, even with an expected high reliability rate. Also, what's to say that some people don't have different eye patterns/reflectivity styles? I'm no doctor or biologist, so some testing would be in order. Also, what about repeat entrances: some people might get bored on the fifth time through and not look. Final problem: glasses and sunglasses. This is in summer in San Diego: sunglasses are almost a requisite. It's possible that the glasses allow IR light to pass through, but sunglasses probably vary even more than irides (Plural or iris). Just some concerns... Remindes me of Minority Report: whenever people go to the subway or in the store, their eyes are scanned and personalized ads are displayed.
@rjo_
With the footfall idea, I'd probably have to have people with strollers/wheelchairs to use a seperate lane and use a different counting method. It could be billed as "handicap and small children express lane".
Maybe I'll take a visit to the roadRunner store. They have a "custom" shoe fitting session where they measure your feet and how you walk and run and all that, and recomend a shoe for you. Personally, I think it's a ploy to get people into the store, but whatever. Anyway, they display all the data about how you walk and your step. If I could get some of that, I'd have a good start.
The "Passport" thing brings this back to Earth. Everyone has to have a ticket. They don't get in without dropping their ticket into a slot. Count the tickets, either with a Propeller, or a person for that matter.
That was the line of thought that I had. They have to display their ticket anyway, so it shouldn't be too difficult to slide it across the scanner. Of course, they may have them in clear pouches around their neck, or parents might carry their child's passport. However, since they aren't required until the visitors get to a ship, there may be a fuss.
SRLM,
most sunglasses work by polarizing light. Light can be depolarized using another polarizer that rotates. Have a rotating polarizer in front of your sensor and it will cause the violator's* eyes to blink. That way you make money doing this.
no, seriously,
Mark
*Near the entrance you put up a sign that says NO SUNGLASSES ALLOWED, FINE $200, by order of THE AUTHORITIES
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
It might be the Information Age but the Eon of Ignorance has yet to end.
Comments
Mark
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
It might be the Information Age but the Eon of Ignorance has yet to end.
Wow. Retinal scanners. I like the sound of that. Although the theory sound easy (like to get to the moon: just launch a rocket), I think that it would be very difficult to implementate, even with an expected high reliability rate. Also, what's to say that some people don't have different eye patterns/reflectivity styles? I'm no doctor or biologist, so some testing would be in order. Also, what about repeat entrances: some people might get bored on the fifth time through and not look. Final problem: glasses and sunglasses. This is in summer in San Diego: sunglasses are almost a requisite. It's possible that the glasses allow IR light to pass through, but sunglasses probably vary even more than irides (Plural or iris). Just some concerns... Remindes me of Minority Report: whenever people go to the subway or in the store, their eyes are scanned and personalized ads are displayed.
@rjo_
With the footfall idea, I'd probably have to have people with strollers/wheelchairs to use a seperate lane and use a different counting method. It could be billed as "handicap and small children express lane".
most sunglasses work by polarizing light. Light can be depolarized using another polarizer that rotates. Have a rotating polarizer in front of your sensor and it will cause the violator's* eyes to blink. That way you make money doing this.
no, seriously,
Mark
*Near the entrance you put up a sign that says NO SUNGLASSES ALLOWED, FINE $200, by order of THE AUTHORITIES
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
It might be the Information Age but the Eon of Ignorance has yet to end.