Magic Mirror

I've got an idea. It is very difficult to get a good view of the back of your head. You can use two mirrors, but you are not going to get a straight in view, it's going to be at a bit of an angle. And trying to adjust the mirror so you can see what you want, gahh! What a pain.

We have all these wonderful flat panel displays and digital cameras. Maybe hook a camera to a directly to a display, then you can move the camera around and look at whatever you want, and you don't have to move, you can just sit still and look at the display. This can be easily done with a computer and a smartphone. You might want someone else to hold the camera. Trying to point the camera at the back of your head is going to be a little difficult.

The big question is the view on the display going to be as good as what you get from a mirror? I think it will. I also think there will people who will disagree. That's the way of the world.

I think you could make this into a product. Maybe start with a couple of beta units in a fancy salon, work out the kinks. I'm thinking that mounting the camera on arm so a person didn't have to hold it would be a good idea. Problem is you've got this arm swinging around a client's head, or even your own head. I think you might want some good sensors and spacial awareness software to figure out where all the players were in this environment along with some quick acting motors to move the arm out of the way in case someone decides it's time to party, or go to war. Don't want anyone to collide with the camera before they get out the door.

On the other hand, maybe you make the camera stationary and rotate the client in front of it. The display would be attached to the client's chair so that whichever way he was pointing, the display would be right in front of him/her/it.

Shoot, this might already exist. I haven't checked.