"It Makes Me Feel Really Nervous About Investing In This" | Dragons' Den

Jonathan Pykett and Dan Baker are next to face The Dragons with their webcam company. They're seeking an investment of £150,000 in exchange for 15% of View You Cam. What will tech tycoon Peter Jones think of their invention?
Season 19, Episode 14
An international sensation, Dragon's Den features entrepreneurs pitching for investment in the Den from our Dragons, five venture capitalists willing to invest their own money in exchange for equity.
#DragonsDen #Technology #PeterJones

[@rje613]

There was actually a new software AI tool that does what this webcam does but with any normal webcam. It basicially redraws your eyes so that it looks like you're looking straight into the camera lens, even when you're looking away. It's very convincing and doesn't require buying a new camera.

[@littlemisschav9062]

For many years, the video game industry has used head tracking and eye tracking technology with a movable device on your monitor.

[@imranasghar8690]

Peter Jones: challenging our minds = Thinking of a new way to get round this invention

[@danielallison2843]

Whoa, Sara has a deep voice when she's serious 6:21

[@k6kaysix675]

I just never have my webcam on for meetings, problem solved

[@defundhollywood3259]

I have stickers over mine

[@TheManInBlueFlames]

Some people NEED to have it, for example, if they're giving face-to-face talks.

[@malbarlow4991]

me too

[@TONY_FEZ]

me either - i tell people i own a mac mini which doesnt have a camera.

[@zydhas2838]

It's a good idea, but the valuation was insane, it might've been just barely, somewhat justifiable if they had a rock solid granted patent, but something like that with no sales and without a patent... it's barely a step different from two guys in a pub chatting about a great idea they just had. Should've come in offering 20% or 25% for £30k or lower.

[@RonDLite]

There already is a software based version of this. No need for clunky hardware.

[@jesterchrome]

Yeah, Nvidia's made this and it should be just a software update for all users

[@RonDLite]

@@PaxKishania called NVIDIA Broadcast, the feature is called Eye Contact. The product in above video also already exists but better and is called Centercam.

[@TheManInBlueFlames]

Clunky hardware? Software these days are EXTREMELY clunky, being susceptible to viruses!

[@RonDLite]

@@TheManInBlueFlames you better stay away from your computer for your own good.

[@BrodiesVlogs]

Mans found a Time Machine and travelled from 2006​@@TheManInBlueFlames

[@carolin2544]

Tbh I like the idea. It's cheaper to get their webcam instead of replacing my three monitors with some (currently not existing) ones that have cameras behind the screen. Plus, if it breaks or the driver magically doesn't work with the next Windows version anymore, you can just replace one tiny thing instead of half the setup.

[@ashen_kills]

Although Nvidea has technology for free now if you have one of their GPUs that automatically makes your eyes appear to be looking at the camera...this manual camera movement is obsolete now.

[@marcinhamada9708]

@@ashen_kills True. Actually if a second camera was placed at the bottom od a screen that NVIDIA algorythm could generate event more immersive view of eyes looking straight.

[@ashen_kills]

@@marcinhamada9708 Absolutely, also, i know people have said it for a while now but we are right on the edge of a huge shift coming with A.I and amazing technology. Its going to be avalanche of stuff coming.

[@JL-gf3yc]

I knew straight away this wouldn’t work, Steven is totally right

[@kyleguy9696]

The product feels like a step back, imo.

[@smith077906]

Peter ' I've stolen your idea & for that reason I'm out'

[@mycroftsanchez901]

A camera in the middle of the screen is not required, laptop maufacturers could just add an extra one at the bottom and use some software to work with the top one to make this work.

[@alexb4287]

They'd be better off just making some software so that when one of the people is talking they're box pops to the top of the screen under the webcam

[@inshort6831]

There is already AI which can fake it no need for extra camera's

[@Jayrage]

Nonsense.

[@hannaraya9382]

It’s so cool to see how AI is now doing the same thing without that weird piece of hardware

[@MJ-98]

Lunchtime Dragon's Den!

[@mentalhealthrealg]

Nice love this show

[@BenjaminGoose]

Steven Bartlett talks about a camera being integrated behind the screen... a big NO from me, I don't trust these devices enough to not have a way to cover the camera.

[@ch4z_bucks]

Why would anyone spy on you? Unless you let them onto your computer then there is nothing to worry about? Most people who cover their cameras have seen too many bond films I think

[@kaj661]

Wow, is this a comment you actually came up with yourself?

[@cameronx8711]

Agreed

[@animefan7424]

No one wants to spy on you, we all know you sit there twiddling your thumbs waiting for a new upload to rehash the same joke

[@kaj661]

@@animefan7424 legend

[@zonking]

I am quite shocked that not a single dragon thought of the fact that software would be able to solve this problem very easily

[@stijnvandamme76]

not entirely, since it will only work if the human looks right into the camera So if the camera is higher thand the screen, there is no way to correct that with soft

[@VivekTiwari03]

How? Could you explain?

[@dlzmedia2792]

How... it is a physical position of a camera. Unless there are tons of cameras behind the screen.

[@unfazedmonkey874]

do you code or something or just assuming things? ill assume the latter

[@LordSolidusI]

Unless you're talking about a real-time editing filter that alters the direction your eyes are looking, this cannot easily be solved by software. Or have you managed to think of something ingenious? Do share.

[@koldtoftkim]

Seeing the "invention" I thought this episode must have been 15 years old. But then they mention the behind screen camera, which is not going to be a thing on laptops, because having the camera off-screen and not being able to look directly in to peoples eyes, is not a real problem.

[@mycroftsanchez901]

Actually if someone can be made to look like a talking cat the eye thing would be easy to fix with the same app to look like they are looking at the middle of the screen so no additional cameras needed.

[@ProfRoofs]

Peter indirectly said he’s stealing their idea and making it better to challenge their patent. I know it’s business, that’s pretty low and bad for the show.

[@nathanpiper1346]

even top right or left of screen and swap positions of person you want to make eye contact with

[@peterpaulmedia7887]

They already came out with a filter like snapchat that makes your face look directly at the camera even if you're not looking at the screen. And its just a filter

[@suttisakdenduangchai6051]

NVIDIA already beat the duo with Eye contact feature of NVIDIA Broadcast

[@SilverMist0121]

Debbie was really quiet in this segment

[@jackdaniels7653]

Unusually quiet, one might say

[@rickysmyth]

I looked on their website. After adding VAT and shipping, this costs about £80. Would you really spend that amount of money to avoid looking at the top of your laptop screen? Never mind the software version. Majority of start ups fail and most businesses on Dragons' Den are dissolved. Imagine spending your money on this instead of saving it for a good retirement. This sort of product is for a company that manufactures a range of products. It wouldn't matter to Apple for example if they only made a few thousand pounds/dollars net profit of this per year. Assuming it is profitable

[@jcaesar19871]

To be fair, a Webcam I want is about $100. Lol

[@rickysmyth]

@@jcaesar19871 Thats a rip off. They dont even cost that much to make. Besides, computers nowadays have webcams built in to the top of the screen.

[@maniraptavia4008]

No. Lol Even if I DID like the idea of this, obscuring my screen in any way is pretty much the last thing I'd want to do in a video call. Honestly, they'd have to pay ME.

[@deanVetUk]

Eye and/or head tracking technology is already available.

[@TheManInBlueFlames]

It's not good yet

[@Rokazz2]

Software beats hardware...this needs to be solved with software instead of some clunky webcam design. There are already prototypes with AI created deepfake kind of face of you who always looks at the centre of the camera while you can move your head around freely. This will be adapted with every video conference software in the next 3 years and this business over here will fail

[@darryljones8369]

We already solved this with a depth sensor, the orientation of the camera becomes irrelevant with live volumetric. Even we have had to look elsewhere because google and nvidia are all over it.

[@ceelabbcbd2158]

I seen an ai software that remaps the direction of your eyes while you look at your notes. It’s amazing.

[@notwhereyouthink]

There's a lot of non-runners appearing on DD lately and this is just another one of those gimmicks. C'mon producers, show some decent product we can get our teeth into.

[@b-dogs1038]

We are now officially fresh out of ideas

[@TheManInBlueFlames]

That's subjective though... and I think this IS a decent product.

[@BrodiesVlogs]

It’s a good idea but now there’s AI software that can make it look like you’re giving eye contact, the one by nvidia is pretty good

[@disiamtheillusion]

These folks crazy.

[@timq3575]

a camera in the centre of the screen that you can't see is the future???!!! no guy is going to be happy with that ........

[@ing9545]

Wireless is convenient not one too many . If they want to sell in 2023 no one has time for too many cables

[@ag4103]

why is there a separation in the elevator

[@jamest3336]

prototype stage and a valuation THAT high. lmao

[@mathewber2782]

Zuck is working on this

[@DeathTripp1355]

It’s good idea but the product itself is extremely outdated. There is already software that gives an eye contact effect

[@pez555]

Nvidia just released this with broadcast 1.4, powered by software and AI though. This looks so basic in comparison 🤣

[@ArmanNobari]

It's wild to see so much effort gone into a hardware solution, where a software solution seems fairly obvious? Oof.

[@TheManInBlueFlames]

But then hardware avoids NASTY viruses

[@Pyr0cd]

whats with the plexiglass in elevator?

[@BenjaminGoose]

Have you been living under a rock?

[@Mihogan]

Lot of naysayers here but I have a modern computer and work at a modern company and this is actually a constant problem... I really want to buy one

[@ThePrimeMinisterOfTheBlock]

"contraption" well at least he's not slagging Peter or Touker today

[@perliva]

Where are Theo and Duncan?

[@withgoddess]

I like it.

[@myshinobi1987]

It's an unnecessary device for an insignificant problem that could be fixed with software rather than hardware.

[@ConsciousEntrepeneur]

I would buy one, is this in the market yet?

[@VolatileHunter2]

Above me, is a scam.

[@EverthingsApple]

Nvidia already have a software solution for this through AI. It locks your eyes onto the camera lens no matter where you look and it looks very natural. Unfortunately they're too late with a hardware solution to a problem now solved by software.

[@trekwave2864]

this is funny after the recent nvidia ai tool that just changes your eyes to look at the camera

[@SiriusMined]

Dragons - if you don't have a patent, it's worthless ALSO Dragons - people will figure a way around your patent, so it's worthless. They may not be wrong this time, but I've seen this bogus line of thinking a LOT

[@00Kuja00]

I think it has to do with how strong a patent is. It's not black and white.

[@SiriusMined]

@@00Kuja00 they say it way too often

[@00Kuja00]

@@SiriusMined Maybe that is the case a lot, idk.

[@nessthecat]

Monitors of the future are probably going to have ways of having webcams within the screen itself. Sure, it would be pricey, but it seems inevitable... Perhaps this would be alright for a little while, but it certainly wouldn't have long life

[@jamesstead2256]

@@Hasheur.... GO AWAY

[@jondeaukassim1702]

AI software already does this now..

[@TheManInBlueFlames]

But not well!

[@surajmadhu-techgobbler]

Redundant hardware. How didn’t any sharks realise that there will be a software solution to this problem very soon. Peter realised that this wasn’t the solution. These sharks realised this product wasn’t going to work. This is why they are sharks

[@ACE-700]

Two dreamers winging it

[@nolianpazac8440]

What about oldman Touka? Why didnt we hear his "i'm out" . i Was looking forward to that

[@1DayAllWillKnow]

They did show his ‘I’m out’ at 8:45

[@M4nvrs]

The idea is good, but I don't like their execution. It is clunky and bulky. However, I'm someone who only uses a webcam when necessary and otherwise hides it, because they are always listening to you, even when you're not using them. So I would not feel comfortable having one in my screen at all times. I'd rather have an attachment like theirs.

[@debbiesunlight7047]

I don’t k ow what they are on about I don’t have any problem seeing eyes in a zoom meeting. Weird.

[@666ingz]

Laptops have had built in cameras for basically 2 decades?

[@666ingz]

@Whats🅰pp±⓵⓼⓶⓹⓷⓺⓪⓷⓶⓹⓸ Nah, you're alright. Tell Jimmy from me, he can fxck off. Cheers

[@233kosta]

It's a posh camera mount for 2003. It's not worth a million.

[@dg_dotnet9616]

You can buy this from Ali express already 😂

[@rudra7615]

Steve is right, underscreen camera technology is the future and an inevitable one. This will be obselete

[@zaidhassoneh2618]

Microsoft already have this software, I have it on my surface pro 9 out of the box

[@Mike-jl2kp]

There's AI software from Nvidia that does this now automatically. That would have been £150,000 down the drain

[@ObjectiveObserver]

Peter: "Yeah, great product. Anyway, I just came up with an idea, so that’s now worth 5 million quid. Steven, I offer you 20% for 1 million." Steven: 30% Peter: "Done! See? Pitching is easy when you’re filthy rich."

[@axmadkadiye2746]

What you on about?? Your comment is anything But funny Don't give up your day job

[@philsymington4971]

Yeah 15 years ago this would of be been great... Now? Nah...

[@eXpansiveconsciousness]

Nvidia already solved this problem. Thier product is already obsolete.

[@maxthorley8122]

I also read Nvidia's new AI solves this issue and is comming to MS Teams very shortly.

[@RafalPe]

4 months later and we have this solved in software with the help of AI

[@Astro_War]

Who is mixing this and who decided a music bed was a good idea. Way too intrusive at its current level and the track choice is terrible.

[@ianlister7333]

I dont see the problem here, unless you are those weird sociable types, who thrives on interacting with people. In the end I dont think an office manger is gonna think the spend is worth over coming whatever barrier created in video calls. the fact that they rushed this into the Den based on a prototype alone, suggests this a product of a very exact moment in time.

[@TheManInBlueFlames]

At work meetings, not making eye contact can mean that you're not directing conversations to certain people they are about and they may not know you are talking about them. There are some people I have known who have been FIRED because they didnt look at someone directly in the eye.

[@sampanchung1234]

Grave error with this one, Apple has technically kind of made this technology in their webcams, software can easily achieve this

[@Firedancer100]

Ethereum 👍

[@TONY_FEZ]

By far the worst thing to come out of the COVID era is that every communication now has to be a video conference.

[@Welshy]

the screen in the lift is so fkin pointless

[@damonwaite3475]

Smart but can be done with software

[@inshort6831]

There is AI that can fake you looking at the camera

[@defundhollywood3259]

Agree with the comments that a software solution would be way better than this clunky future dollar store item.

[@LiftYourGame]

This software has been available for years via various live streaming software and NVIDIA recently released the ability for the software to move your eyes to look directly at the camera even if your head is tilted or facing a slightly different direction. Lmao just use your existing webcam with free software. Yawn.

[@z_ed]

Agreed. Potato, 🥔 Take it away Hasheur wealth bot 🙄

[@TechGamesAU]

Nvidia has already solved this with pure software. Nobody will need clunky hardware like this.

[@emilgemc8913]

I have better idea about this one

[@erepsekahs]

Sara Davies is looking particularly good this year. What has she done that makes her so stunning? (I tried to find a more subtle of way of asking, but unfortunately I could not)

[@sadikmeah4057]

She takes steroids

[@RoamingHeathen]

You’ve become slightly more desperate than last year

[@Noelhall88]

@@RoamingHeathen 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@erepsekahs]

@@PeterPan-uu5vu She really looks very delicious indeed....and that, combined with her brain makes an excellent dinner companion....errrrr for a start.

[@nolianpazac8440]

She is on the juice bro, she takes steroids

[@RockyDave]

Hello.

[@microwave0152]

hi

[@moogleking]

Too little too late

[@strademarkworld]

Or or. Wait for a free nvidia software already announced

[@franklynpatterson3265]

They are too early in the process and too late to the party.

[@jaffaman99]

Nvidia enters the chat

[@-_-naab-_-]

Well damn I'm early

[@kbeesmot9928]

A complete waste of time, I switch off the camera and get in with emails and other things.

[@jeffhack6839]

What are they trying to project with the barrier in the elevator. FEAR people. Promoting FEAR. Cheers.

[@ianlister7333]

this was filmed during covid, so the production company and the BBC had a duty to keep everyone on set safe. The barrier in the lift is obviously the most "stand out" thing about the shows covid safety measures, but it is far from a hassle for viewers.

[@jeffhack6839]

@@ianlister7333 Yet allowed to stand next to each other once out of the lift. The irony, the horror. Cheers.

[@ianlister7333]

@@jeffhack6839 0:45 you see the two meters between them

[@jeffhack6839]

@@ianlister7333 I will get out the tape measure for accuracy. Cheers.

[@ianlister7333]

@@jeffhack6839 this is TV, I am more then sure they are standing on marked spots. Honestly if this show was trying to create "FEAR" they would not have allowed that slightly casual bit where two Dragons tested the product. Cheers.

[@JD-pi2ce]

Will never work, rubbish product, rubbish idea. It gets in the way of the screen and creates a new problem. Bartlett is right, the camera will be built into the backscreen.

[@vojtechkarlovsky4396]

Ngl, this has no potential of ever being successful imho

[@etrhgersgrgreger1043]

Is it 🌈 to watch myself in the mirror playing with myself while wearing a dress? Im black tho.🐒

[@etrhgersgrgreger1043]

@@Hasheur.... Jim the earthworm?

[@jamest3336]

useless. L proposition & business

[@DoingYerMum]

ai software has been created that does this. This business is dead

[@neilpa]

Barbara conference called to say that this is potentially a great product, and therefore, she's out....

[@Fush1234]

It’ll be replicated in minutes. Not a good risk

[@richardanthonygilbey]

Ultra Zoom

[@User_-yo5bb]

damn everyone is old now

[@maniraptavia4008]

Yay, another new innovative technology to make situations more difficult for neurodivergent employees with difficulties maintaining eye contact... 🫤