Micro-Works Computer-Portrait System

The Micro Works Digisector was an early video digitizer designed for the SWTPC 6800 microcomputer in the mid-1970s. The SWTPC 6800 system was built around Motorola’s 6800 microprocessor, a pioneering chip introduced in 1974 that powered many early personal computers and embedded devices. The Digisector gave the SWTPC 6800 the ability to capture and process still images from a video signal by converting them into a 256 by 256 pixel grid with 64 levels of gray. This allowed users to input visual information directly into a microcomputer, a notable advancement at a time when most personal computers were limited to text and simple graphics. The Digisector stood out for its relatively high resolution, speed, and affordability, making video digitization accessible beyond large research laboratories and hobbyist groups. Devices like this helped lay the groundwork for early portrait-generation experiments.

This approach to digital portraiture was showcased in public settings like the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. This system scanned a live video feed and transformed the subject’s likeness into a grid of black-and-white pixels, which was then printed using a dot matrix printer. These portraits, composed of thousands of tiny dots, captured simplified facial features and introduced audiences to a new way of seeing through digital technology. Though limited in resolution, the portraits offered a compelling example of early public engagement with computer-generated imagery and played a role in increasing the cultural visibility of digital portraiture during the 1970s.