DIY hack to achieve eye contact while video conferencing
(If you have already seen the first prototype, jump to “Evolve the prototype”.)
In a video conference the other day, I found myself talking into the lens of the webcam.
The lens recording you is on the edge of the screen, so if you’re looking at the person in the center of the screen, your gaze will be slightly off. I thought that looking into the other person’s eyes would convey my thoughts better. If you’re trying to look the person straight in the eye in a video conference, the only way is to look at the lens. However, if you do that, you will not be able to see the person’s face. It’s a bit ironic that we look into the lens in an attempt to establish a connection, yet we cannot see their face and reaction. You then revert back to looking at the person’s face on the screen and land right back to the initial problem. Well, it doesn’t really matter, I thought, but then I wondered if there was any way to solve this eye contact issue.
If you look into this issue, you will find that various solutions have been already being explored. I decided to use a half-mirror solution. A half mirror is like a magic mirror. As shown in the figure below, a half-mirror tilted at 45 degrees reflects the video conference displayed on the tablet, and a camera mounted behind the half-mirror takes a picture of you. In this way, it is as if the camera is on the other side of the screen, and you can look at the other person’s face and stare at the camera at the same time. The mechanism is the same as a teleprompter used to read a script while looking at the camera on TV. However, I decided to make it by myself to save the cost.
First, buy a half-mirror. The size should match the tablet display to be used and the size of the box. A typical display with a 3:4 aspect ratio should be able to fit in a square box approxiamate to the length of the tablet. I decided to use an iPad with 19.7cm length, so I purchased a 20 cm square one. It’s about $30 including shipping.
Next, find a cardboard box. The size will depend on the size of the tablet and the half-mirror used. The width is about 1cm smaller than the length of the half mirror I purchased. The height should be longer than the width of the tablet and the depth should be 3cm more than the width of the tablet. I found a disposable box that t was 19cm wide x 22cm deep x 27cm high when the lid is opened
The picture below is the half mirror and the cardboard I used. I think you can see that the half-mirror is a little transparent on the other side.
Paint the inside of the cardboard box black with an oil-based pen or the like. Since it’s a magic mirror, it reflects the brighter side and transmits the darker side better, so the camera side needs to be darker. You don’t have to paint all of it, just paint the four sides that reflect in the half mirror,.
After that, I just cut out the slits to stick the iPad and the half-mirror on the side. This time, I made a drawing like the one below.
Finally, set the webcam on the back side of the box. This Logitech webcam had a screw hole for a camera mount, so I drilled a hole in the back and sandwiched it between the gorilla pods and set it up.
You should also adjust the camera lens to eye level in the video conference. It is about the height of the middle of the screen.
Depending on the webcam you have, you may use Velcro or make a hole the size of a lens on the back, and may put the camera behind it.
Done! Stick a half-mirror and a tablet in the slit.
The time it took to build this was about an hour. I think it could be done a lot quicker if applying black paper instead of manually coloring in the box.
With Duet (“Sidecar” if you are using MacOS 10.15 Catalina), I’m using an iPad as a second display and the webcam is connected to the Mac. Since the image is mirrored, I used Flip Mac Window Utility, to flip the image and display it correctly.
I quickly tested it out. This is great. You can look the other person in the face and look them in the eyes as you speak. It’s perfect.
This box can also be used as a teleprompter by using an app. In video conferencing, there are times when you want to read a manuscript or document that you have prepared in advance, but in such cases, it can be quite obvious that your gaze is elsewhere but the screen. This box allows you to read your manuscript while maintaining direct eye contact with the audience.
One of the unexpected discoveries I made during this process was a strange sensation as if your opponent was actually inside that box. This feeling is interesting. I attached a photo of the lower half of my body under my tablet.
It’s like he is at a desk, and he is suddenly more alive. It’s almost as if he is living there.
Evolve the prototype
I really liked this box!
I used almost everyday. It worked pretty well and I loved achieving eye contact at video conferences. However, it’s just a cardboard box. The parts got weaken. When I applied chopsticks to strengthen it several times, I thought it’s time to evolve the prototype. Below is the one I created next.
I imagined something simple, compact, light weight, tough and foldable/portable. I found my friends around me started to use DSLR camera as webcam, so I wanted to design it for DSLR camera as well. Started to make the drawing with Adobe Illustrator. Decided to use 3mm thick acrylic board.
I wanted to use a laser cutter to cut it. Since I don’t have my own, I visited “Fabcafe”, a cafe that has 3D printers and laser cutters for guests to use.
I purchased a few black acrylic boards, and cut with laser cutter. The way laser cutter moves is very cool.
Here are the parts cut.
Side parts are split to the outside and inside that has slit for the half mirror. Attached these two to one with glue.
Then, build up and insert the half mirror.
Set a webcam on the back.
It worked as expected! You would see the blue indicator light of the webcam through the mirror.
Next, I set DSLR camera.
Canon USA is providing EOS Webcam Utility Beta, a virtual camera program to turn DSLR camera to webcam. It works really great with my 5D Mark III (It is not in the list of the supported model though!)
Take a look at the natural depth of the field of DSLR camera! Since setting DSLR camera occupy some space, the position of camera is always problem and usually the eye contact is significantly lost. With this gadget, seeing the screen means seeing the lens directly. Perfect!
I used MacOS Catalina’s Sidecar function here as well to use iPad as a second display. Since the screen is mirrored, I use Zoom’s dual screen option to view presentation at the main display.
When I want to bring it to somewhere else, I can easily take the box apart.
The experience of video conferencing has been improved significantly by achieving eye contact. I wish you get inspirations through this article and find fun by yourself to survive the remote work period creatively too!
In case you are interested in the drawing I used for laser cutter, I put it here. It’s Adobe Illustrator CC data. Feel free to download. You would have to modify it because it’s designed for a magic mirror of 200mm square with 3mm thickness. This is just for your reference. Enjoy!
P.S.
I got a question about the dinosaurs on the side from a reader. Since the acrylic board had an extra space, I made an accessary for my son who loves dinosaur, and then pasted it to the side of the box to remember. Laser cutter is a great tool to create a gift for your precious people ;-)
