What is an SLS Camera? A Tool for Paranormal Exploration
If you’re interested in exploring the paranormal or hunting for ghosts, you’ve probably heard about the SLS camera. This intriguing device has become essential for ghost hunters and enthusiasts all over the world, allowing them to “see” things that are usually invisible to us.
Initially created for the Xbox as part of the Kinect system from Microsoft, the SLS camera has found a new purpose outside of gaming. Its unique ability to spot human-like shapes and display them as skeletal outlines—even in completely empty areas—quickly piqued the interest of those in the paranormal field. This technology has been transformed into portable tools that can detect “invisible” beings, making it a popular choice for spirit seekers.
How Does the SLS Camera Work?
The SLS camera relies on advanced motion-sensing technology that was first made for video games. It detects human shapes in the surroundings and maps them as skeletons in real time. Paranormal investigators believe this ability can help show the existence of spirits or entities that we can’t see.
While the original Kinect-based SLS cameras can be pricey and delicate, recent developments have allowed for mobile devices to mimic their functions—making this amazing tool more available to contemporary ghost hunters.
An Unexpected Background
When Microsoft launched the Kinect, it’s hard to imagine they expected it to become an important resource for paranormal investigators. Nowadays, SLS cameras represent a fascinating mix of gaming tech and ghost hunting creativity, showing that sometimes the most unlikely tools can help reveal what’s hidden.
What’s inside an SLS Camera, How does it work?
Unveiling the Mysteries of the SLS Camera: How It Works and What Makes It Special
The Structured Light Sensor (SLS) camera, popularized by the television series Ghost Adventures, has transformed the way paranormal investigators approach their craft. At its core, this innovative technology allows ghost hunters to visualize phenomena that often elude the naked eye, providing a unique lens through which they can explore the haunted and the mysterious.
The Technology Behind the SLS Camera
At the heart of the SLS camera is the Microsoft Kinect, which employs cutting-edge infrared technology. It projects a grid of infrared light onto a monochrome CMOS sensor, capturing the environment as a dynamic array of dots in three-dimensional space. This method enables the camera to gauge depth and intricate textures, making it proficient at detecting human forms and movements. Due to the camera’s ability to recognize humanoid shapes, it can potentially identify spectral figures, lending credence to the idea that ghosts can be captured on film through this advanced technology.
The SLS camera gained prominence for its ability to translate these shapes into animated stick figures, often appearing to move or interact with live individuals. Its debut on Ghost Adventures occurred in the landmark episode “Saint James Hotel,” where it made a significant impact in the world of paranormal investigation.
How Does the SLS Camera Work?
The SLS camera utilizes infrared light projection combined with dual CMOS sensors to create an intricate 3D map of the surroundings. This dual-sensor setup allows for continuous monitoring and recognition of multiple figures simultaneously, enabling investigators to capture and analyze an unparalleled visual representation of the environment around them.
Interestingly, the monochrome sensor at the heart of this technology offers distinct advantages compared to traditional color sensors. Since it processes all wavelengths of light through its photosites, the monochrome sensor can generate images with remarkable clarity and detail. This means that more data is available for image processing without the need for demosaicing, resulting in sharper images with minimal distortion.
Capturing the Unseen
When the SLS camera emits millions of tiny infrared light points, it constructs a comprehensive 3D map of an entire room. The light emitted either reflects off surfaces or is absorbed, creating a visual representation of the space that reveals elements invisible to the naked eye. Some theorize that paranormal entities may affect this light differently—absorbing or refracting it in ways that the SLS camera can detect.
Though it is unclear whether Ghost Adventures was the first to utilize this groundbreaking technology, it undeniably brought widespread attention to the SLS camera, demonstrating its potential in the field of paranormal research.
By delving deep into the technology and its applications, the SLS camera continues to captivate audiences and investigators alike, providing a bridge between the seen and unseen world.
The Evolution of SLS Cameras
Despite the traditional SLS Camera being superior and proven to yield results an all new technology has emerged known as the “XLS Camera,” a groundbreaking piece of technology, had its debut in Wickenburg. It functions exactly the same as the SLS Camera does, but it maps in a three-dimensional location to map in everything that is out in open space. There are also Thermal Cameras which are used in paranormal investigations.
It’s amazing that technology is evolving so rapidly, with the evolution of SLS Cameras to XLS Cameras coming soon the possibility’s are endless.
SLS Camera Mobile App
With all these technologic advances comes the world of mobile devices, with apps like Necrophonic, EVP Recorders, Spirit Boxes, and EMF reader apps for mobile among so many more, it comes as no surprise that there are now SLS camera apps on mobile.
The problem with apps is finding one that actually does what it claims to do, we have tried every single SLS Camera app that is currently listed on Android and iPhone and have come to the conclusion that there is really only one app that is worth using out of all of them ( at the time of posting this article ). While the app is decent it will never be a true replacement for a hardware backed ghost hunting camera.
GhostTube SLS Camera
The only viable SLS Camera app is the GhostTube SLS Camera which offers an easy to use solution to detecting humanoid figures, it will detect actual people much like the Kinect which is all done by computer processing inside your mobile device. A high quality camera is a must for this app to work properly the budget phone cameras just won’t cut it when it comes to using the app in the dark as it will yield too many false positives.
Honestly if you are into small scale ghost hunting or are just messing around with EVP or Spirit Boxes then you should add the GhostTube SLS Camera to your app library as its built pretty well and there is no other app that works as good as this one.
Links for GhostTube SLS Camera
Android
iPhone
Other Apps For Ghost Hunting
Do SLS Camera’s work? Our conclusion
These SLS cameras work and they work extremely well, the detection rate is almost perfect for finding people its a masterpiece of technology which is being adapted by more and more people everyday.
The caveat of the camera is that it does work, but does it really work on finding ghosts or apparitions or are they false positives. That’s’ the question that nobody truly has the answer to as with all paranormal culture it comes down to do you believe in the afterlife and spirits? People will always be skeptical of ghost and specters but for those of us who have had paranormal experiences we know that there is something out there.
Update January 4, 2025
Dear Readers,
We want to ensure you have the most complete understanding of the SLS camera technology discussed in this article. While we’ve presented a thorough overview of this fascinating tool’s evolution from gaming device to paranormal investigation equipment, we believe it’s important to provide some additional context.
The technology’s application in paranormal research, though intriguing, has not yet been validated by peer-reviewed scientific studies. Like many tools in paranormal investigation, the SLS camera’s ability to detect supernatural phenomena remains a matter of ongoing debate in the scientific community.
It’s worth considering that what appears as paranormal activity through the SLS camera might sometimes be the result of pareidolia – our natural tendency (and that of technology) to recognize familiar patterns, especially human shapes, even where they don’t exist. Think of how we sometimes see faces in clouds or patterns in random objects.
While this doesn’t diminish the fascinating potential of the SLS camera, we encourage our readers to approach the technology with both enthusiasm and critical thinking. We’ll continue to update our coverage as new research and evidence becomes available.
Keep exploring,
Justin
Horror Facts, Founder
Last Updated on January 4, 2025 by Horror Facts
SLS cameras are very interesting.