For the most recent PennApps, a student-run hackathon that seeks to "solve real-world problems," a group of developers submitted a solution for unwanted ads offline. Dubbed "Brand Killer," the custom-built head-mounted display conceals brand logos in the real world with a fuzz familiar to anyone who's watched an episode of Cops.
Here's how the team of developers describes the project on its website:
Corporate branding and advertisements are ubiquitous in society today and almost impossible to avoid. What if we lived in a world where consumers were blind to this surplus of corporate branding? Brand Killer is a technology demonstration that envisions a future in which consumers can use augmented reality to opt out of corporate influence. We built a head-mounted display which uses computer vision to recognize and block brands and logos from the user's view in real time. It's AdBlock for Real Life.
Or in fewer words, "It's AdBlock for Real Life."
The headset is monstrous, and the program has a noticeable lag, but those are petty gripes considering this was put together for a hackathon. As a proof of concept, it's brilliant. As yet another thing to compare to Black Mirror, it's terrifying. And as a way to experience the annual Super Bowl ads, it's less than ideal.