Stampy Camera Magically Turns Photos into Rubber-Stamps

The Stampy Digital Camera reminds me of those old “How To Draw Comic-Books” guides. You’d get a step one (stick men), step two (circles and rectangles) and a step three (the amazing, finished artwork). Somewhere there was a missing step 2.5, which was where the actual magic happened.

The Stampy also has this missing step. The camera takes a picture (step 1). You then pull it apart to reveal a rubber-stamp and ink-pad within (step 2) and then you simply slap it down onto a piece of paper to get a monochrome rendition of the photo you took (step 3). The missing step: How on earth does your picture get turned from photons of light into nodules of rubber?

It’s a real shame, as this instant-printing concept is clearly in the spirit of the original Polaroid. I suspect it will never be made until the designer, Jinhee Kim, actually invents a mechanism for then inside instead of relying on an a sprinkling of pixie-dust to make it happen.

In the meantime, I’d like to offer my own invention. It’s a teleportation device which will surely terrify the travel industry with its promise of free, instantaneous transportation. So far I have an almost working prototype made from two phone-booths, one in New York and one in London. Step one: You just walk in and dial the right number. Step 2: Poof! You’re gone. Step 3: a quick bagel for lunch. It’s almost done. I just need to work out step 2.5.