The first webcam was invented to watch a coffee pot — so researchers wouldn't walk to an empty one
In 1991, researchers at Cambridge University's Computer Laboratory set up a camera pointing at the Trojan Room coffee pot and connected it to the lab's network. The purpose was purely practical: rather than walking down the corridor to find an empty pot, researchers could check the image to see if coffee was available. In 1993, it was connected to the World Wide Web — making it the first public webcam. It ran until 2001, when the pot was retired and the final image sold on eBay for £3,350. The entire history of webcams and live streaming began with caffeine and laziness.
The webcam feels like a technology with a grand purpose — videoconferencing, surveillance, streaming. Finding that the entire category was invented to solve the mildest possible problem ('I might walk to get coffee and there won't be any') is a perfect example of how revolutionary technology often begins with the smallest, most relatable frustrations.
“The first webcam was invented at Cambridge in 1991 to monitor a coffee pot — so researchers didn't walk to an empty one. Connected to the internet in 1993, it ran until 2001. All of streaming culture began with caffeine and laziness. ☕ #OddlyHuman”