Using infrared LEDs, the “Camera-Shy Hoodie” allows its wearer to dazzle night-vision surveillance cameras. Impossible to identify the person!
After the ugly sweater that drives people’s recognition systems crazy, here is the hoodie that blinds them. Mac Pierce’s “Camera-Shy Hoodie” was designed the DIY way (do it yourself), that is to say “homemade hacking”. And it works! The garment has twelve high power infrared LEDs. They are integrated around the hood.
Using a switch sewn into the sleeve, its wearer can make the LEDs flash. The sweatshirt is designed to be used at night, when security cameras activate their infrared optical system to capture in the dark. The stroboscopic effect of the LEDs then blinds the sensors of the surveillance cameras. Assaulted by the light, the camera tries to compensate by suddenly adjusting the exposure to compensate, and completely loses the definition of the scene. Everything becomes unrecognizable.
The LEDs in the hood blind the sensors of the infrared recognition camera at night. Unstoppable. © MacPierce
This hoodie cost around $200 to make. All elements and components come from the trade. The manufacturing plans and the code are open to everyone, since the artist-hacker offers them as a license Creative Commons. According to the ingenious handyman, the only really delicate component was the choice of the type of infrared LED. It had to be very high performance. It is the same kind of LED that is used in security cameras to illuminate an area in the dark.
For Mac Pierce, the use of this parade is meant to be virtuous. It is a question of allowing people to be able to demonstrate and express an opinion without there being any repercussions on them. Previously, the creator had developed the “Opt-Out Cap”, a hat which, again, made its wearer unrecognizable by a camera equipped with facial recognition.
