Google Earth has a dead pixel?

David Flynn31 March 2009, 11:09 PM

It’s annoying enough on your 24 inch LCD monitor – so how would you feel about a dead pixel on Google Earth?


Art comes in many forms, and so does its inspiration. Dutch artist Helmut Smits, perhaps perturbed by a dead pixel on his own desktop monitor, got to wondering what a dead pixel would look like in the real world.

Using Google Earth as his reference point Smits calculated that a single pixel, when viewed from a height of 1km above the ground, would measure 82 square centimetres. So he burned an 82 cm2 patch into the ground near his Rotterdam studio.



Despite the artwork’s title of ‘Dead Pixel in Google Earth’, however it can’t actually be seen using Google Earth because the snaps taken from satellite imagery and fly-bys date back several years.

However, we’re hoping that Smits will keep this square bare for long enough for a canny Google engineer to arrange for a high-altitude photo to be taken and the image incorporated into the current Google Earth database.


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McBanjo (User):

And the world advances no further this day.

31 March 2009, 11:37 PM (11 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Hemma (User):

LOL, another artist trying to out-do everyone. Can this be called Artistic Fail?

01 April 2009, 9:08 AM (11 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

I have to admit that I laughed....

01 April 2009, 10:49 AM (11 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

SLi (Cornerstone member):

I have to admit that I didn't laugh...

01 April 2009, 11:09 AM (11 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Michael J (Cornerstone member):

i have to admit that you all sound like freaks.

01 April 2009, 11:17 AM (11 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

agami (User):

Google's high-res flybys are currently at 60cm resolution and a recent satellite buy-in will give it access to 40cm resolution snaps.

The problem with this piece of art is that it will most likely not align with Google's grid references. Chances are the dark patch of dirt will not align with an actual pixel on the next flyby which will result in a slight darkening of the adjacent pixels. A circle with a diameter of 120cm should do it.

01 April 2009, 12:02 PM (11 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Chad (New user):

boring, that was a waste of time reading.

01 April 2009, 4:37 PM (11 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Phred (Cornerstone member):

Slow news day leading into April Fools...

01 April 2009, 10:06 PM (11 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

The Big Baboo (User):

I wonder if that plot is big enough for a tomato plant ? mmmmm 7cubed minus 18% plus 22.5 metres minus the area of Wembley Stadium. Might just squeeze it in :)

03 April 2009, 2:40 PM (11 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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