Paranormal Tech Breakdown: How an SLS Camera Works

If you’ve watched our episodes, you’ve seen the eerie stick-figure shapes our SLS camera maps onto the screen—sometimes standing right next to us when no one is physically there. But how does this technology actually work?

The SLS (Structured Light Sensor) camera was originally built for the Xbox Kinect gaming system. It projects an invisible infrared grid across a room, then maps how objects disrupt that grid. When software interprets certain disruptions as “human-shaped,” it shows up as a stick figure on screen.

Paranormal investigators use it because sometimes these figures appear in places with no visible person. Could it be spirits? Or just glitches in the system? That’s the debate.

In our investigations, we’ve captured SLS figures reaching toward investigators, standing on staircases, and even appearing in empty prison cells. While skeptics chalk it up to mapping errors, we can’t ignore the timing—especially when paired with EVPs or temperature drops.