Glass globe doorknob is a whole-room fisheye for the other side of the door

Hideyuki Nakayama's glass globe doorknob refracts the scene on the other side of the door in its depths, giving you a preview of what's going on in the next room before you turn the knob.

A Room in the Glass Globe by Hideyuki Nakayama (via Make!)

Worst. Doorknob. Ever. - Boing Boing

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penguinchris

I think it’s awesome! If you just wanted it for fire safety purposes, perhaps it can be coated with something that will burn off at a relatively low temperature but otherwise is opaque. IANAMS (I am not a materials scientist).

I think though a better use, since most people won’t want these in all their interior rooms, is to just replace the standard peephole with one of these. Then you don’t have to look into the tiny hole with bad optics – you’ve got this awesome orb to look at, probably even from several feet away.
Sekino

It’s neat and beautiful, but it would be another reason to keep the room very tidy… so no.
Anonymous

Not really new.

The Victorians had glass doorknobs. The difference is that they used a brass shaft to connect the two knobs together (this is sounding a bit like a Carry On film now) so that you can turn the door catch. The difference here is that to allow you to see through to the other side a glass shaft is used.
Anonymous

“I need to call the furnace repairman. It always snows in here just before somebody walks in.”
Nadreck

Should be mandatory in high-rise apartment doors for fire safety reasons. Don’t open that door in a fire situation until you’ve had a peek at the other side!
Anonymous

Beats the reversible peephole that Kramer had.
Ingmar

Now, how’s that for privacy?
Antinous / Moderator

Mad-Eye Moody wants that back.
peterbruells

Coming from a door-handle culture: door-know are an abomination before God and men and should should get wiped from the earth. Next to these tiny light switches the anglosphere is so fond of.

Plus, they are not even cat-proof, which would be their only redeeming value.
- Jonathan Badger
  
  I guess I don’t get what is so awful about door knobs or wonderful about handles — I actually had to check to see which my current apartment has (handles). Aren’t they basically the same thing, only we call the roundish ones “knobs”?
Nerkles

Can you see the other side from both sides, or just one?
igpajo

Woulnd’t mind one on the front door of my house but I’d want it to look out, not in. My door’s metal and I’m loathe to drill through it to install a peep hole, so this would serve that purpose of showing me who’s knocking on the door.
But for interior doors, that’s just creepy.
neilwalker

I wonder if my teenage son would mind me popping one of these on his door?
djn

What peter said. Door knobs are an actively bad solution – especially in older houses where the bolt might stick a bit.

This is very neat, though.
Donald Petersen

Absolutely MUST have. I gots cash in hand.
- benher
  
  I’m right in line behind you – the possibilities are endless!
peterbruells

Ah, I guess i should have written “door-lever” , as both a handles, of course.

Try to open a door knob with just your elbows.

Also, a door knob requires more strength, as it offers less leverage and you have to twist your wrist more.

I guess they are marginally better in case of zombie outbreaks, as the undead can’t work them, but I consider this to be a minor drawback.
Anonymous

No more mastrubating in front of the computer
Sancho Panza

Now even doors will need some kind of power supply, right?

Standby power FTW
- Anonymous
  
  i dont think its battery powered
efergus3

How fragile are they? I’ld hate to end up with a handful of glass shards.
braininavat

Who needs a keyhole?
Anonymous

very clever.
useless but
clever.
creepy and clever.
ubbe

I hate the round door knobs, they are very user-unfriendly. For example: If you carry something big and heavy, you cannot open such a door with your elbow. So you have to put the stuff down, open the door and pick up the stuff again. And it must be even worse for people that does not have a powerful grip like people with reumatism or similar.
Michael Smith

Thats beautiful. The ideal toy for Mr Glass.
- 2k
  
  I should’ve known way back when. You know why, David? Because of the kids. They called me Mr. Glaaass!!!