Designer: Alex D’Souza We can always type notes or even make diagrams on our computers, but that doesn’t always work for every scenario. If you’re teaching students or demonstrating what you’ve learned in class, you often need to write something live. There may also be times when you need to display notes, images, or other things that haven’t been digitized yet. The latter usually involves awkwardly placing your notebook or photo in front of a high-speed webcam, while the former sometimes requires building a contraption that holds a camera or phone aloft. Viu offers a simpler solution that uses intelligent design principles with a little computer vision and computational magic. In a nutshell, it’s a webcam on a small stand whose lens is pointed down at an angle and sees whatever you place down on a flat surface in front of it. Algorithms straighten the images so they look like they were taken by a camera pointed straight down from a high level. We’ve seen this kind of “document alignment” in many smartphone camera apps, so it’s really a wonder why no one has thought of it yet, let alone commercialized the idea. This original webcam design also offers something beyond its technical merits. In terms of design, Viu is petite and delightfully minimalistic, so it fits almost any kind of office theme or decor. It’s easy to use, with just two buttons to power and capture a still photo of a live video stream, and it’s small enough to fit in any nook or cranny. Its clean form doesn’t visually distract you from the task at hand, but there’s also a transparent version to add some flair to your desk, if that’s your thing. The Viu’s simplicity extends to how it’s built and arranged internally, with just two circuit boards covered by two outer pieces. Because it is simple to manufacture and assemble, the webcam reduces unnecessary parts, manufacturing steps and costs. Despite and because of this minimalist aesthetic, the webcam can almost act as a decorative piece on your desk when you’re not using it. Like a lamp or a robot facing down, Viu’s design is simple yet subtle, with an almost playful element. A neutral CMF and small footprint make it ideal for any office, whether busy or clean, filling a need that hasn’t been adequately addressed in the months and years since Zoom and Google Meets became a part of many people’s lives and work.
