Thought of a way to activate smartphone cameras, is it possible?

[TheMonsterMan8]

I bought a Moto G two days ago, great phone, would recommend to anyone. As I was using it, I thought of a really cool way to activate the camera. If you obscure the lens with your finger (either put your finger ON the lens or just in front, so that it stops light from getting too it) brings up the camera app. Maybe you cover up the flash instead, I don't know. I just think it'd be nice for people who don't have a dedicated camera button or gesture. Is it possible?

[Ssoele]

It would in theory be possible to do this with the camera, but the phone would need to have it's camera active all the time, it would drain your battery in no time. It would also be quite unpractical I think.

[HexaGuy]

The camera would need to be actively sensing for light, and unless you found a way to do this without using a lot of power, it would consume your battery quicker than ever before. 

 

 

EDIT: Ninja'd

[TheMonsterMan8]

Thanks for the quick answers guys. Dunno why I didn't realize it'd drain the battery. Thanks.

[NARAKU_KAT]

It would consume a lot of power and also it would need to be always taking light from any source so, basically if you just put it oin your pocket it would activate the cam, so keeping it either with or without any light is pretty much impossible, anyway i'd go for an specific colour of light at a certain frequency that the phone could actually understand as an instruction.

[Askew]

This is the dumbest shit ever, lots of pictures of the darkness inside your pocket, or whatever surface you place the phone on.