NUCA Camera

NUCA Camera Introduction

NUCA is a speculative design and art project by Mathias Vef and Benedikt Groß. This project aims to provoke and question the current trajectory of generative AI in reproducing body images. NUCA is an AI-powered camera that redefines image creation, capturing individuals in their purest form – no clothing, literally stripped down to their authentic selves in their natural state.

NUCA Camera Features

AI-Powered Image Creation: NUCA captures individuals in their purest form, stripping them down to their authentic selves.
Speculative Design: It is a speculative consumer product, framed in the manner of a typical tech startup.
Privacy and Exposure: NUCA challenges our perceptions of privacy and exposure, bringing a childhood dream of X-Ray vision to life.
Physical Connection: Unlike other deepfakes, NUCA ties the creator and subject physically together and shows the result immediately.
Adult-Only Product: To ensure safety, NUCA is exclusively for adults.

NUCA Camera Tech Specs

The current NUCA prototype is a 3d-printed camera (19.5 × 6 × 1.5 cm, 430g). It is equipped with a 37 mm wide-angle lens and an ergonomic grip. The viewfinder displays the input image and can be configured to show some of the input parameters e.g., pose detection in real-time.

How NUCA Camera Works

By pressing the trigger, the camera will create an estimated natural nude representation of the person being photographed. The inputs of the generative image process are the photo, the person’s pose (estimated skeleton), and the landmarks of the person’s face. The input photo is analyzed by a custom classifier on 45 identifiers on gender, age, ethnicity, expression, hair, glasses, body shape, etc. These ratings are then used to generate a base image by formulating a prompt for a text-to-image AI (Stable Diffusion). The base image is a generic estimation of a nude person fulfilling this prompt. In the last step, the image is individualized by taking the person’s face and pose into account in the final development of the nude portrait.

NUCA Camera FAQs

Q: What is NUCA? A: NUCA is a speculative design and art project that redefines image creation using AI-powered technology.

Q: How does NUCA work? A: NUCA captures a person's image and uses AI to generate a natural nude representation. The process involves analyzing the photo, pose, and face landmarks to create an individualized nude portrait.

Q: Is NUCA safe to use? A: Yes, NUCA is designed exclusively for adults to ensure the safety of minors. The generated images are not used in any way without explicit consent.

Q: What are the tech specs of NUCA? A: The NUCA prototype is a 3d-printed camera with dimensions 19.5 × 6 × 1.5 cm and a weight of 430g. It features a 37 mm wide-angle lens and an ergonomic grip.

Q: How can I get in touch with the NUCA team? A: You can contact the NUCA team at [email protected] for any questions or inquiries.

NUCA Camera in the Media

NUCA has sparked diverse reactions, ranging from fears of AI's bias towards body cult and beauty mania to enthusiasm for its celebration of natural human beauty and form. This project prompts a crucial discussion on AI's potential, emphasizing consent, algorithmic fairness, and the societal impacts of AI-generated imagery.