“Shadows are being used by Japanese researchers as an non-intrusive way for friends to stay in touch. Called Teleshadow the system pipes video of what people are doing at home via the net to their friends’ houses. But instead of showing images in full motion and colour, Teleshadow turns them into shadow outlines projected on the inside of a small decorative lamp. Creator Shunpei Yasuda said the shadow presence system aims to fill the gap between live video and static images.

Mr Yasuda, a post-graduate student in Media Design at Japan’s Keio University, said the inspiration for the system came from Japanese history. For many years, he said, Japanese homes have had Shoji or paper walls that divide some rooms. The thin walls preserve some privacy but the shadows cast on the paper as people move about also act as a reminder of that person’s presence…” Continue reading Shadow lamps to connect friends by Mark Ward, BBC News.