A man who lost his eye reveals that he replaced it with a wireless camera to explore new perspectives in filmmaking.
Rob Spence, also known as the ‘Eyeborg,’ made a unique decision after losing his eye in 2007.
Instead of opting for a traditional prosthetic replacement, he saw an opportunity for innovation.
An accident at a young age took his eye
Rob’s eye was a casualty of a childhood accident involving a 12-gauge shotgun.
In a 2011 conversation with CNN Business, he recalled the incident.
He explained that while trying to shoot a pile of cow feces, he mishandled the gun, resulting in the loss of his eye.
Rob went through several surgeries to try to save his eye.
However, years later, when his cornea got worse, he had to have it removed.
Man losing eye reveals reason he replaces it with wireless camera
Rather than dwelling on the loss, Rob immediately began contemplating a groundbreaking idea.
He decided to replace his missing eye with a camera.
Rob came up with the idea for his camera eye with help from Kosta Grammatis, a radio-frequency engineer and designer.
The wireless camera is hidden behind a prosthetic eye.
It has a tiny transmitter, a small camera, a battery, and a magnetic switch for easy use.
Electrical engineer Martin Ling joined them to create a tiny circuit board that sends the camera’s data to a receiver.
However, this camera eye is not connected to Rob’s optic nerve.
Rob told CNN that he was worried at first about how people would see his idea.
He feared that people would think he was joking when he initially sought assistance to design his camera eye.
However, he discovered that engineers, driven by their affinity for science fiction and pop culture, were intrigued by the concept.
Rob’s camera eye can record up to 30 minutes of video before needing a recharge.
This feature has been very useful for his filmmaking projects.
Multiple camera eye iterations developed.
According to Rob’s website, several iterations of his innovative camera eye have been developed.
These variations include a model with a clear shell that shows the internal technology.
There’s also a realistic version and even a red glowing design inspired by the Terminator.
Rob’s pioneering technology earned him a place in the Guinness World Book of Records in 2009 for creating the first bionic-camera-equipped false eye.
When asked about the inspiration behind his idea, Rob credited a Six Million Dollar Man action figure from his childhood as the catalyst.
This childhood memory fueled his inventive spirit and led to the development of his remarkable camera eye.
“The great thing about engineers is that they love science fiction and pop culture.
This is a very science fiction-y/pop culture thing to do,” he said.