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Creating A Tiny, Free, Roaming Webcam?
"I thought it would be cool to mount a webcam on my bike when I go this July. I looked around on the web and the only similar implementations I could find included a bike trailer and 20lbs worth of computer parts. I know that a person can do better than that. I'll be at least 5 miles from a support van at any time so short range solutions (Bluetooth, 2.4ghz wireless LAN) isn't an option unfortunately. What I'm looking into is a small webcam linked to a PDA with a cellular modem. The webcam takes pictures every couple of minutes and the PDA takes the image, calls on the cell modem, uploads the pic, and disconnects the call. This saves me cellular charges and conserves power so that I don't have to carry a bunch of batteries with me.
Basically I've gotten to the point that I need a firm set of hardware and a good wireless implementation to get the information to the servers. Below is what I will need for the system. Any suggestions for each piece, or a full working system that could be purchased would be very helpful.
Webcam: the smaller and more power efficient the better, something all weather, the size and shape of a pen would be optimal since aerodynamics play a part in this piece and I don't want something like a Logitech QuickCam stuck to my helmet.
Computer: PDA sized or smaller if possible. Needs to be able to connect to both a Webcam and a Cellular Modem and be able to do the work explained above. As power efficient as possible, the longest lasting batteries possible. Needs to fit in bicycling jersey pocket (about 4 inches wide and 8 inches deep).
Modem: this is problematic as not all of Iowa is covered for digital cellular service but all of Iowa IS covered for analog at least. Another option may be the recently reinstated Iridium system (I read somewhere they allowed data transfers)."
All your first post belong to us.
I have Unix underpants.
All you really need to pull this off is a really long piece of Cat-5 (and given that this is going to be in Iowa, you may need to bribe the Cat-5 so it doesn't crimp itself to death out of sheer boredome).
... Check out Axis. They don't exactly offer tiny cameras, but they *do* meet most of the other criteria. (Not sure how they're powered; I'd guess it's AC...)
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suwain_2
Before you go to the effort and expense of putting something like this together maybe you should figure out if you are even going to have an audience. I doubt that live pictures will be necessary even for those interested in seeing the pictures. Just capture pictures and save them then upload them toa server later. Just because it can be done doesn't mean it should be done.
Sounds like you may want to talk to visor about it. They make the handspring PDA. They don't have what you speak of, but they may be able to make it for you.
I'm assuming you have a large budget, btw.
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Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
Okay, I can't find the information right now, but I know that best buy used to sell a Palm Pilot camera, maybe something like that, on a palm VIIx would provide the solution. As for the aerodynamics of it, I would suggest strapping it to your chest w/ the lens tilted upwards. Now then, for the calling and disconnecting you might need to do a bit of search for software that can do it, or even possibly writing it yourself if you know how. Sorry I can't be more discreptive.
/* Of course I'm real, but can you prove it? */
The data transfer is the hard part, but you could do it with a small linux PC like some of the posts last week, running off a Nightrider type battery in the Bottle cage. Some of these brick type computers have big harddrives, and you could just spool and forward when you can. X-10.com has some cool mini cams that can run on USB, and could fit wedged in a helmet vent.
;->
PS. Don't worry about the drag, just shave your legs or lose 5 pounds
Never answer an anonymous letter. - Yogi Berra
Do you know what RAGBRAI is? Have you ever been on it? The idea of getting away from it and unplugging on RAGBRAI is laughable. Over 10,000 people on bikes, plus a few thousand more driving vans, bike store employees, etc. It's on the front page of the Des Moines Register (the "R" in RAGBRAI) every day for a week. This is just one more step in the media coverage of the event.
You should look into PC/104 and other miniaturized PC systems for this. All you'll end up needing is USB support for a D-Link camera, and PCMCIA for your modem (only 1 type II if you use the Merlin or Sierra AirCard).
That's only two modules, perhaps just one. There may be other solutions as well that you can look into. Since you don't seem to need video output as well for this, a serial console would be ideal, and you wouldn't need it to be hooked up all the time anyway.
Finally, the disconnect for CDPD will only be needed to save battery power. Most service plans are unlimited service, not per kilobyte, unless you're roaming.
Here's your USB cam:
http://www.dlink.com/products/usb/dsbc300/
With proper mounting (think about shockmounting and using a flash chip for storage, it'll be a lot more durable) on the bike frame, the profile will be fairly small.
For even more insanity, you can use an ultralight subnote like a Libretto (with a USB card) or a VAIO PictureBook, depending on OS support. This would be easier to get on short notice, of course, but you'd need someone to supply you with batteries.
Best of luck!
Raptor
Raptor
"Procrastination is great. It gives me a lot more time to do things that I'm never going to do."
I've seen bike lights that are powered by the motion of some part of the bike (ie. the wheel, or collecting wind motion maybe) so the light is actually being powered by the person, no batteries required. Of course, a PDA and cell phone are going to require a lot more electricty.
But what if the telecom/webcam was working off of a rechargeable battery, that while being drained is also being fed by the motion of the bike, and perhaps also solar power (because any energy collected off of the biker's effort will slow them down I guess).
Realistically, the solar/kinetic battery recharging won't be enough, but it could be enough to keep it running all day until nighttime (or whenever the biker is resting) when it could be plugged into the wall for a complete charge?
Alternative energy rocks!
Jeremy McNaughton
------ Live simply so that others may simply live.
Try 7 days, with between 3 and 10 stops a day, mileage varying between 50 and 100 miles a day. Your memory appears to have faded a bit since you were a paperboy. ;)
(Damn, she just took the cam out of her pants!!)
Sean
Sure, smaller is better but smaller is also more expensive. Your requirements seem to add up to a rather expensive package. I don't think Ask Slashdot is going to be much help here...
There's always ham radio... This, of course, requires that you obtain a valid license. But in the ham community, your request wouldn't be at all unusual.
However, another problem is that if you plan on mass-producing this, you'd need to force everyone who will use it to get a license before they can legally use it.
Here's another solution. Put a fairly good amount of storage capacity in it. If the cellular modem is out of range, it will save the image, and try again in a couple minutes. It will continue this until it can transmit the saved images. In the event that it runs out of space, it will delete every other one, or something to that effect. (Doing every other image ensures that the timing is consistent between pictures.)
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suwain_2
I have to admit, it was a LONG time ago. And I never participated...just read about it while I was dropping the papers off.
--
Non-meta-modded "Overrated" mods are killing Slashdot
Non-meta-modded "Overrated" mods are killing Slashdot
(Hey Ryan! Here's your proof!)
Nice to see some constructive comments as usual. I wonder how many posts it takes before you get a useful answer to this guy's perfectly valid question?
Have you thougth about using HAM radio and packet modems? I don't know much about the technologies, although I know it will work at ranges up to 50 miles...
-Tripp
The Cassio PocketPC comes with a optional flash camera.
:)
A small GSM cell phone with IR modem (like Nokia 8260) could do the communication and happy coding because I'm not aware of any software that can do the whole thing you are looking for without user input.
MS Embedded tools (Visual Basic and Visual C) can be downloaded for free from Microsoft.
P.S.: When you're done coding send me the program
ThinkGeek Has a Web Cam with a built in server, meaning you would just need the modem. May need some hacking to make it road worthy but it could be a nice way to simplify things.
Why not? put some bikes on the track, take some pictures previously (storing localy), and then, during the event, say that they are live! Don't forget to use small, blury images or else it won't work so nice. It is also wise to say that you use a patented technoloy when asked, to justify the fact that you can't explain the technical aspects :)
As a former Register employee, and knowing the way they're crazy about drumming up RAGBRAI press, I'm sure you might get some interest.
tcd004
The Pentium 4 Revealed!
Don't click here unless you need Stock photos
Heh. I've ridden the full thing 4 times, and ridden part of the route another 4 years.
Okay, granted the iPAQ is a CE device...BUT:
Compaq iPaq H3600 with PC Card Pack and the Sierra Wireless AirCard 300. This solution offers you everything you need except the camera.
Now, the iPAQ has a communications port with serial and USB connectivity. I do not know if this would work with a camera but it may...
Didn't you miss the obvious one?
Well, I'm thinking, everyone that I see so far has wanted to put a small computer on your bike.
But I think it would be more efficient, since like you say, to have just a small wireless camera and leave the PC equipment and the web page uploading and whatnot on your support vehicle.
A quick web search on wireless cameras turned up this:
http://www.x10.com/products/x10_vk45a.htm
I don't know if this works (its 2.4ghz, I don't know what your problem is with bluelan), but I'm sure that there are similar products out there.
Just a thought.
You've got three resources you need to be carrying with you on the bike: network connectivity, processing (CPU) power and electrical power.
b le/install.html. The advantages of an iPAQ are that it's small, very light, and has a comparatively long battery life. If you shut the display off, a single battery charge should last you 24 hours.
The network connectivity is the easiest: get a cellular phone with CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet Data) or GSM data service. Most cell phones come equipped with an IR port or a serial port attachment so you can connect the phone to an IrDA or serial-capable device and use it as a wireless modem. GSM phones are probably your best bet, since they're most standardized. Check with different cellular service providers to see if any of them cover the entire state of Iowa. I know AT&T does, but they use TDMA which isn't as good as GSM.
Next, you'll need a computer, with webcam, to hook this phone to. Your options here are: buy an iPAQ handheld for $500 (if you can get your hands on one!), or buy a Sony Vaio mini-notebook for $2500 (weighs less than a pound, about the size of a portable CD player)
If you can get hold of an iPAQ, it should suffice nicely. Your challenge will then be to connect a webcam to the iPAQ. The iPAQ has a USB port, so any USB webcam will do; the problem will be finding Windows CE drivers for the webcam. You can install an experimental version of Linux on your iPAQ, courtesy of the Compaq research team. Under Linux it should be a snap to use one of the Linux video APIs to capture frames from the webcam. Your cell phone's data link will also work under Linux, via the iPAQ's IrDA port. To find out how to install Linux on an iPAQ, check out the howto: ftp://ftp.handhelds.org/pub/linux/compaq/ipaq/sta
The Sony Vaio is an x86 machine AND it has a camera built into the case, so it's a no-brainer to get a webcam working with it, out of the box. The problems with it are its price and its battery life: even with the display off, the battery isn't going to last longer than six hours. If you buy a VAIO, you'll either need to carry along some spare batteries, rig some sort of generator for it, or stop frequently for recharges.
A final note: a continuous cellular data connection can be pretty durned expensive. Expect $0.15 per minute of use; even if you only connect when you're using the service, you'll be spending at least $5 / day on webcam updates.
It's a mess and its slow (1200 to 2400 baud was the best we got)
You can also try using amateur radio packet, If this option is available, use it! You probably won't get great coverage but it least you get to stay digital and don't have to worry about modem compression and correction.
Good luck
Use a wheel dynamo, and a smallish solar panel while you're at it. It would alleviate the problem of carrying spare or high capacity batteries. Just one set being continually replenished should work just fine. Put the solar panels on your cycling cap!
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Check out Handhelds.org!
BTW, the iPaq is quite nice... Never actually owned one, but I've played with them quite a bit. (If you need anyone to test one for you, let me know... :-D )
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suwain_2
All you'd need to do is get your Amateur Radio License. It's much easier than you might think.
Then, look at this device from Kenwood. It's a neat little package that includes a camera, the display, and all the computing you need.
Hook this baby up to your radio, have a similar setup on the other end, hook it up to a computer on the net and you're all set!
This is called Slow Scan Television (SSTV).
Another cool thing about this setup.. throw in a cheap GPS reciever and you're ready to do APRS! (report your position, send messages, and lots of other fun stuff)
Good luck
Lots of digital camera manufacturers are adding modem interfaces and TCP/IP support to their cameras. Try Polaroid or Ricoh, or go to Google and search for "digital modem camera".
---- "If we have to go on with these damned quantum jumps, then I'm sorry that I ever got involved" - Erwin Schrodinger
Something like this would be cool.
What is pirate software? Software for inventory of stolen treasure?
You know what I'm talkin' 'bout.
Most of the wireless solutions available for Palm/Handspring/etc devices utilize CDPD (cellular packet data protocol) for network connectivity. Problem is, Iowa (save for pockets of englightment) doesn't really have much CDPD coverage.
The serial line to analog cell phone might work (unless you are along a major Interstate in eastern Iowa, or in a major metro area, forget digital coverage). A link for something along this line can be found here.
Good luck.
---------------------------------
Only in America will someone order a
Big Mac, large fries, and a Diet Coke.
I'm working on something vaguely similar to this as part of my Embedded Linux Challenge entry...
Using a PC-104 device, supplied by ELJ, I'm making use of two radio transceivers... They have a data rate of 56k (though I believe you can purchace higher-data-rate modules) and range of, get this, 40 km, line-of-sight. We're currently doing testing to ascertain the range without line-of-sight in various situations (city, suburbs, woods, etc) so I can't comment on how well they do, though 5 miles should be plenty close to maintain the full data rate...
They can connect using a "developers'" board that contains an RS-232 chip, and some status LEDs... quite cool, all told. They run on 5-12 VDC, so batteries are certainly an option.
They're made by World Wireless Communications. IIRC, they cost us something like $400/piece. Look into 'em.
TheNewWazoo
First, perhaps instead of making use of the batteries exclusively, you could hook a generator to the bike. The generator could be used to charge the batteries where you have 2 sets and you alternate between charge and use/expend.
Secondly, I would refer you to all of the embedded linux solutions: check out:
http://www.linux-embedded.com/
A lot of manufacturers make PC compatible single board computers (some very small) that will run Linux. The Basic STAMP micro-controllers might not be a bad choice either, they come with a lot of accessories (such as a mini-webserver) and a lot of hobbyist work with them: check out:
http://www.parallaxinc.com/
Lastly, I would refer you to Information Unlimited at:
http://www.amazing1.com
to get a small, low cost CCD camera, assuming that you didn't want to go with one of the cheapy webcams out there.
As you might be able to surmise, I have given thought to the kind of project you describe (hobbyist robotics actually). I don't really have THE answer for you, but these are some good places to look. I hope this helps.
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http://navasgrp.home.att.net/tech/sch-8500/
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http://www.interpug.com/npug/articles/sprint2.htm
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http://store.yahoo.com/cellularaccessorycom/datca
b samsch.html
A samsung sprint pcs modem has a serial port and is a modem; just put a modem where you want to connect to (or use a more costly ISP) and dial up. Then transfer the file and disconnect. The samsung 8500 has a special serial cable just for hooking directly up to a palm V. no costly PDA modem needed. This is also largly true of GSM modems (the omnipoint ones here, like that nokia dual band thing).I was told once, and I now think it a lie, that GSM worked by communicating to low orbit satellites and hence was global. I don't know if that's true, but I'd hope that either sprint pcs, or GSM would be widely available over the entirety of your course.
Don't ask about the camera, I wouldn't really suggest that sony picture book. But the cam for the clie is no longer an option it seems; and things like this never seem to be real. Although the visor eye module may be what you'd want in that case.
Try this one for size. With a resolution of 330 TV lines and a 9- to 12-volt line drawing 150 milliamps, this one sounds pretty good. Of course, it'll need some sort of battery pack and transmitter. It isn't the one-piece setup he was looking for, but this will do just fine.
"Ancillary does not mean you get to rule the world." --U.S. Circuit Judge Harry Edwards, speaking to the FCC's lawyer
A car actually has a battery and uses the alternator to recharge that battery. The alternator is connected to the battery, and has a belt running to a fly wheel on the side of the engine. the alternator generates electricty which is passed to the battery, therby recharging it, just FYI for you =)
and to those who wonder why I simply say...
It's quite small -- it looks like an overgrown hand-held radio microphone and the picture quality is "decent" but not spectacular. It costs somewhere between $200 and $300.
Depending on the system used the range could be in several ten's of miles (particularly if there's a "repeater" on the radio system).
In 1994, I bicycled across most of the US and ended up being just a couple of days ahead of RAGBRAI. I would have loved to have a cam for my trip, it would have been really cool. Now if only I can get a wireless net solution that worked everywhere I went.... -Moondog
Have you ever thought about using a radio modem to a chase vehicle? When I was working on my school's solar car project in 1995, we had a van loaded with various telemetry equiptment, including a radio modem connection to the car, so that we could get speed, battery consumption, etc.
I don't know enough about your race, but with a power inverter, a few space car batteries, and someone willing to follow you in a car, this wouldn't be that hard to pull off.
[If, however, the race route is completely closed off to vehicles, this would be more difficult].
You might also look into other forms of communication. Check to see if Metricom has access in our area, or someone like them. [I haven't had one of their modems since '97, but the modem at that time had a battery which lasted me a good 3-4 hrs of constant use.]
With the chase vehicle concept, you might also try looking at X10 gear, but I don't know what their power consumption is.
Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
I originally thought of the X10 camera when I read this post. I bought one a few months ago, and I love it. It's a fantastic little device and it has a pretty decent range (approx 100'). Unfortunately, 100 feet is a far cry from 5 miles to the support vehicle, so there's still the problem of how to upload the images to the base station. Obviously there's no point in using the wireless camera if you have to carry the base station with you too. So while the camera's good, we still need to figure out where to keep the base station in order for this to be useful. Otherwise, I'd suggest to get one of those USB devices and plug it into a handheld with a cell modem.
You can accomplish anything you set your mind to. The impossible just takes a little longer.
What about a Palm VII and Palmpix camera? I am sure it wouldn't be difficult to set up a script that will take a picture and dial the modem every couple of minutes. An unlimited cell account for the Palm VII only costs $45. You may have to swap out batteries, but this seems like it would be a light, relatively inexpensive solution, that you could probably convince Staples or somebody to donate the equipment for.
I think I remember a similar story from SF's Critical Mass, but IIRC they just uploaded all the pics after it was over.
There are 2 Sony sub-notebooks with built-in cameras, the Picturebook and the new GT1. The GT1, in particular, seems like it could work if you figured out a good mounting solution. It has a nice cam, 17 hours battery life, full motion video, a type II PCMCIA slot, etc. It's really a camcorder with a PC built in - not the other way around.
More info, and US purchase, is available here : http://www.dynamism.com/gt1/index.shtml for the timid.
Also the newest Libretto and another of the japan-market subnotes (a fujitsu I think) have built in cameras. I would have more info, but it seems like Japan Palmtop Direct, www.jpd.com, has gone down/out of business. They used to be the best source for JPN market notebooks.
Dynamism has the Libretto, and its' built-in "lipstick camera" is removable, which the sonys are not. But it only has a 3.2 GB Hd.
Dynamism might actually ship you one of these units for free, if you get your colleagues at the Register's tech department to request it...
There is a visor cam available, and a palm pilot camera, but the problem is there's not an easy way to hook both a camera and a cellular modem up to a PDA. That, to me, is the biggest prob with the Visor and its Springboard slot - you cannot daisy-chain springboard modules. No way to use wireless, camera and flash memory in one system concurrently.
Now if there is a camera available for the Palm VII, and there is Mobitex service in the area, that might work. (FYI any device that says it'll work with a III should work with a VII)
Otherwise, you might be stuck trying to build a single-purpose PC, or you might have to upload pics at intervals when you stop.
Get an ordinary digital camera that takes pictures onto removable media, such as CF or memory sticks. Get a couple of these media. Every once in a while have your support people drive up and hand you one CF/stick while you hand them back the one you've just filled up with pictures. Let them worry about uploading the pictures to the web.
This solution means that you no longer have size/weight/power restraints on the computer and communications equipment doing the uploading to the net, which should make things cheaper and easier.
If you've got the budget for it, you might prefer two cameras to swap back and forth rather than trying to fiddle with CF cards while riding at high speed.
The next Cmdr Taco duplicate will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and see it early!
Also look at Ricochet wireless modems. They have 28.8 in many places and 128K bps in major cities.
Both the LART and Ricochet should only weigh a few pounds.
I'd first like to thank the slashdot guys for posting this. Here are some of the things I've done since I sent them the original message. Second of all I work for the Register, so if this goes through hopefully I'll be able to ride RAGBRAI and not take vacation time for it. :)
:)
I actually haven't found a digital camera that'll fit my requirements so I'm looking into an analog camera with an analog-USB adapter.
I'm looking at the:
SuperCircuits pc75wr analog camera --> http://www.supercircuits.com/
and the Belkin analog -> USB converter --> http://www.usbstuff.com/capture.html
Computer:
I'll admit it and get flamed here, but I haven't looked through the embedded Linux stuff on the web, but from looking at Palms, Handsprings, IPaqs, and Casio's line I haven't been able to find a handheld that will do both a USB connection and a PCMCIA cellular modem connection at the same time. I think I found my computer base unit. It also includes a built in GPS system so if things go right there might be a map beside the picture with a big star that shows where the rider currently is on the route.
http://corp.intermec.com/products/6640.htm
Modem: I recently found out that one of the cell phone companies also helps to sponsor RAGBRAI so I might be able to swing a sponsorship for this portion.
I talked with a gentleman at MIT in the wearable computer club and the consensus is to be careful and get shock-resistant parts since I'll be on the bike.
Keep the suggestions coming, the more the better. (I don't want to use up my vacation to go on RAGBRAI!!)
I would look to paririe inet for the internet connection, i would also look to the sony viao notebook for the pc, if i remeber these have a built in camera on the top of them, so you could just make a bracket to mount it to the front of bike. if nothing else, get a bike rack that goes over your back tire and put a notebook on that and run a cam up front.
BTW RAGBRI rules, gotta check out the partys at night! now thats what you need the cams for =)
End Transmission....
what? like yours?
I don't know why I'm responding to an obvious troll, but I think he was actually complaining about the fact that the store bought solutions he saw were 20 lbs and required attaching a trailer to his bike. This seems like an obvious problem since he's going to be on a long distance bike ride.
Also, price doesn't seem like too much of a problem for the poster, since his request for advice mentions he wants as small of a webcam as possible, as well as a small computer that can connect to a webcam and a pda AND a cellular modem. None of these items are free, or even cheap. It seems the reason he wants to develop his own solution to his problem is that the current solutions are not good enough.
You decry this person attempting to create their own solution, rather than throwing money away by purchasing a solution that is not up to their needs. Whatever happened to good ol' fashioned ingenuity? The Do It Yourself ethic? What in the world is wrong with him finding a way to do something on his own? Do you also think it's crazy to work on your own car, rather than overpay a mechanic to work on it for you?
I don't understand your position. What in the world is wrong with figuring something out for yourself and implementing it, as opposed to paying someone to do it for you? What is wrong with him asking for advice on how to solve his problem?
I think you are just using this topic as an inappropriate excuse to sound off about one of your pet peeves. It is inappropriate since this post has little to do with Open Source. He has a hardware problem and is trying to solve it in the best way he can. His solution seems to involve quite a bit of non-Open Source hardware (pda's, cell phones, webcams). If his question was "I need to hook two of my computers together, how do I do it?" would you tell him how to plug the cables in, or use that as another excuse to vent?
Josh Sisk
- Visor Deluxe or Platinum ($250 / $300, 8MB of memory, runs for about 2-6 weeks off a pair of AA batteries) The Prism would let you look at your pictures in color, but has rechargeable batteries, so probably wouldn't work for you. The greyscale Visors seem to be able to store color pictures, though.
- Eyemodule2 ($200 , you can download the picture emailer program from Palmgear.com or freewarepalm.com there's also the greyscale eyemodule1 for cheaper some places)
- cell phone with a modem (~$170 for my little Nokia phone with IRDA. There are Visorphones ($300) and wireless modules for the Visor, but then you'd have to swap modules all the time. For service, I have Voicestream GSM, but that's limited to 9600baud digital service right now... I think TDMA (AT&T, Verizon) networks might let you connect up to 14400baud and have more complete analog roaming).
- if you want to get fancy, you could spend maybe $100 or so on phone-Visor serial cables so you don't have to hold them together to use the lame IRDA link, so you can keep pedalling while you're connected. Then again, it might be cheaper and more convenient to just duct tape both of them to your handlebars so the IRDA links always work... that way you could use the phone's serial port for a handsfree kit so you can talk to people when you aren't dialed in. A pet peeve of mine with the Nokia phone is that the IRDA port is on the wrong side of the phone, so I have to hold it upside down to use my Visor. But you could probably get creative with a mirror.)
- you might want to program a script (or get someone else to program a script
:) ) to automate the picture grabbing/uploading tasks with one button. I don't think I've seen anything like that yet...
Good luck! Sounds like you're going to have a lot of fun!Get with a local amateur radio club, especially one with members interested in ATV. They love to play with systems like this and would probably have a better solution than the PDA/cell phone idea.
Quite simple:
Get a Casio Cassipeia with the CompactFlash camera extension, and use the Brighthand article found here or here to get your wireless connectivity.
Get any of the freeware FTP programs (some have timed upload of a specific directory), set the camera for captures every few seconds, and you have yourself a completly isolated webcam the size of (roughly) a PDA.
An alternative which involves a base station would be a video camera with a high range transmitter (a few miles). This could take the signal to a much powerful connection, where you could, say, stream the video...
I believe the pants cam was originally meant to be live, but it never turned out that way, for now it is just looping through 2400 saved jpgs that were made during the first run of the camera.
You can read more about it at http://diddl.firehead.org/pantscam/ This is a sort of informal faq, (not by the same person wearing the pants)
----- 70% of all statistics are completely made up.
--
rev.
ok next.
messy but quick post. sorry
So here's my specs for a cam setup that could get reasonably interesting pictures:
- Vibrational stability. No use getting jittery, blurred pix, right?
- Aimability. What if the most interesting pic of the moment isn't directly ahead? This might include lens with a moderate amount of wide angle/zoom capability. This could probably be accomplished with a semi-custom tripod head fitting.
- To go with aimability, etc. I would add detachability -- in case the bicyle it is mounted on were damaged, the setup could be moved. Secondarily there are many more interesting pix to be had when the riders aren't actually in motion, and finally
- Reasonably high resolution and color depth, because even if you are transmitting images live, how many people can watch the whole seven day race? So back at the web server end, and after the race is finished, you want to have better than average pix as a result of all the effort.
All of this says that what you probably want on the handlebars is a fairly decent megapixel camera, probably the one that uses an IBM microdrive -- one I have heard of can store 1500 pictures. (Which would be about one a minute for 12 hours), assuming that the cam uses AA batteries, so that a recharger can takes care of the continued power requirements. Nearly all the good digital cams have USB, so you have an easy connection to the device which will be responsible for image collection and transmission.Then we have to consider the other end: transmitting the image without a high speed data link. Since high res, high color pix require major bandwidth, the collector has to be able to compress the incoming images, probably resized for web page formatting, and perhaps tagged so that the high res pix from the camera can later be uploaded and replace the lower res image or be available from a thumbnail.
Probably requires more than a PDA. So my vote goes to the smallest Transmeta-powered device capable of the image processing, equipped with a wireless PC-MIA modem of some type. (Clueless about the best communication option here, fellow /.'ers, help me out!) Finally, I would think that a person would need a small solar panel to keep all of the devices and batteries charged, so the Transmeta device would rest just under the solar panel probably on a cushioned rack above the back wheel.
Still weighs alot less than 20 lbs, I would think, and positioned properly shouldn't add that much drag. Best I can do but fellow readers, what do you think?
...Open Source isn't the only answer -- but it's almost always a better value than the alternatives...
Gateway is based in Sioux City. Iowa was one of the first states with a widespread video conferencing network. It's usually used in the education system. Iowa is more computerized than you'd think.
The 2120 looks like it's almost what you need. It can talk to a modem for incoming or outgoing calls, it can take a picture based on either time or alarm (push a button to take a picture).
But its power is 12VAC, 9.6A. You'll have to tinker to give it AC.
I own a Dolphin Pencam FastUSB007, whick is approximately as long as a ballpoint pen and about as wide as 2 AA batteries side-by-side. It is USB (you might have to duct-tape the USB plug into the side to keep it attached on a bicycle). The cool thing about it is it functions both as a digital camera (when disattached) and as a webcam (when attached to a computer). It takes 2 AAA batteries and is extremely light (it wouldn't be hard to mount on a bike).
AFAIK, the software only works in Windows, and I had a bit of trouble getting it working. You can use whatever free Webcam software you want (I use ConquerCam I found somewhere - it uploads to a FTP site every 5 seconds or so). The image quality isn't that great - The resolution is very small, in camera mode it needs a substantial amount f light to take the picture, and the videos are rather grainy.
You should be able to find it for around $80. The site I bought it from no longer sells it, but I'm sure it's available elsewhere.
-3Suns
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The Revolution will be Slashdotted
My wireless Web setup is:
This stuff allows me to browse the web wirelessly. I'm not actually sure how you'd upload starting with this setup; I suspect that's a software problem, and I'm hoping it's solved elsewhere in this thread.
That said, I'll throw out some other notes on systems like this. First, they are flaky, and don't like you moving, so when you get a connection, stop moving. A modem connection seems to be much more fragile when switching between network cells than a phone call is. Second, think redundant. Get multiple paths of connection, because there are so many places where the connection can break down, and you'll go crazy if you absolutely depend on any of them. Lastly, forget about sending up pictures and enjoy the ride. Experiences like that aren't for sharing with other people over the web, they are for experiencing first hand, while it's going on. The 3rd California AIDS Ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles changed my life, but it wouldn't have if I'd been fretting over hardware the whole time.
mahlen
See how today's achievement is only tomorrow's confusion; see how possession always cheapens the thing that was precious. --William Dean Howells (1837-1920)
a Gameboy, with one of those little B/W cameras they used to sell for the thing. I bet you could pick up one of those real cheap. Then use the Gameboy network port to hook into a mobile phone and you're set!
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www.lucernesys.comHorizon: Calendar-based personal finance
Steve Roberts, the ultimate technomad, would be the ideal person to ask about this sort of thing. Email wordy@microship.com or surf to http://www.microship.com
I live in Iowa (yeah, computers *do* exist here. Gateway once was based in Iowa, in fact. +1 Informational :P) and think you should actually look into a few things before doing this webcam off a bike during RAGBRAI.
LAN parties are a new thing around here. People are realizing they can connect their computers up in a "little Internet" and play games and share farm porn.
Webcams are currently illegal according to city ordinances in 35 of the 99 counties, so you'll want to turn the puppy off depending on where you're at during particular points of the day.
I went ahead and asked my cousin Darrell what was wrong, but he didn't reply, so I asked my other cousin Darrell whose *the* computer tech up at State University. His response?
"Handheld PDAs r a black market item in Iowa. Y'see, some genius farmboy figured out how to hook the sonsabeetches up to dat der Internet thingny and using some GPSr they can finger out how well their corn be a growing and witcha dem plots a'land needa watering."
Sad thing is, he's right. The college I'm attending is pumping out some decent quality MIS and ComSci/ComE students that end up leaving the state to work places where states welcome business, rather than tax the hell out of them.
So yeah, we might not be a Silicon Valley, but you just wait till the farmers start using some of the agriculutural technology Iowa State University has been working on.
Who needs to genetically modify food when you can grow more in a smaller space due to simple improvements in the layout using the technology you've got?
Other people might find a use.
You sound like the IBM guy in the 1950s who
could figure out why the world would ever
need more than seven computers.
This might be kind of a "Duh" post, but be sure that the software has the ability to redial or retry the call, if it cannot find a signal. You do not want to be resetting every 5 minutes because you are in a rural area with no coverage. Even areas that claim 100% coverage can have some nasty spots. Just make sure that the software can handle a fully automatic process, without having any human intervention. Test it out by driving around in your car, but when you do the test just turn it on, and let it run, don't touch a thing. Have a friend monitor the website to make sure it is working.
"Ham" (amateur) radio groups provide communications support for the ride. This may include ATV (amateur television) and definietly includes APRS (amatuer position reporting system). ATV can send live NTSC-quality video and audio at least from near cities on the route. APRS has an add-on protocol for sending still images and supports links to internet feeds. The hams have already figured out solutions to power, equipment, safety, and operating procedures.
Another approach might be to use a CPDP modem with a laptop. I do not think there is an easy way to do it with a Palm or Visor, although there is a simple httpd server for the palm that works fine with the omnisky modem. Coverage outside of cities may be a problem.
Yes, the digital computer was invented in Iowa. See: http://www.cs.iastate.edu/jva/jva-archive.shtml
Send lawyers, guns, and money. Dad, get me out of this.
I beleive a visor hand held devise, along with the appropriet handspring modules will suffice.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
So, this might require a prett deep hack - but there are cams availibe for PDA's. Throw one together with cam, a wireless modem (PCS phone or PQA PDA maybe . . .) throw a generator on the bike week and you've got a pretty small package. The uploads might have to go through some sort of server side conversion for display - but the remote could be pretty small.
\Drew National Data Director, John Edwards for President
OK, here it goes...I'll see if I can remember all of it... Cheapest CPU platform - Handspring Visor (www.handspring.com) SpringBoard EyeModule2 expansion digital camera - (http://www.handspring.com/products/sbmodules/eyem odule2details.jhtml)
SierraWireless Dart300 battery operated Serial CDPD modem - (www.sierrawireless.com)
By using a serial based CDPD modem, you can free up the expansion slot for the camera. The camera software has the ability to snap images/video and sync them to your desktop. The HotSync software has the ability to network sync over the CDPD modem. Just dump out the JPEG images to your server.
Some assembly required.
A slightly cheaper communucations alternative is to use a Motorola iDEN CDMA phone with a data cable. You can then establish a PPP connection to the Handspring through the serial cable. NexTel is the American carrier that I know of. ClearNet here in Canada. Not too sure about the NexTel system, but here in Canada I can get wireless packet services on my iDEN for free with just a little bit of programming knowledge relating to the handset. No airtime charged for being online, and the best thing is that it is totally legit :)
ICQ me at 34034928 if you have any questions.
I've been considering a similar attempt this summer during the Courage Classic ride in Colorado. The combination of a Kenwood TH-DA7G transciever and VC-H1 camera are hard for a gadget-hound-radio-amateur-cyclist to pass up. Paul, KB0LUR
Video cameras have become incredibly small over the past few years, not only that but also power usage has dropped dramatically! Here is a "videoBug" that is small and light enough to put on your flag/whip antenna. Super Circuits Video Bug.
Perhaps you could wire up a few of these with some switches on the handlebars to send them power and feed video input to the digitizer. HeadCam, RackCam, AxilCam, ... It would be cool if you could let someone toggle the camera input remotely!
If you have the budget and want to do high speed relay links via a support vehicle, then have a look at:
Radio Based Communications
At the high end are 115k spread spectrum RF modems from FreeWave. Upto 20 mile range, I believe they were used on an Everest expedition. One of them has adjustable range so you can operate it legally in restricted areas without a license. They also have repeaters ... Of course the more range/bandwidth the more current used to transmit, so pick your comms accordingly! Doing streaming video through a cellular modem might yeild very poor frame rates and/or low res, but then again you have to think of your target audience. Do you wan't to serve people with high speed connections as well as people on dialup? With a high speed link you could do both and also perhaps do higher quality one image at a time pages for people on slow links.
Off the shelf computer notebooks/pads chew up batteries pretty quickly. Of course they also offer off the shelf video encoding solutions. Apple's powerbooks might give you the greatest run time(dual battery) and also with the ability to encode the video, they also have firewire which would let you hook up some lightweight digital video cameras! Hmm, image stablization would be kinda nice too! Apple Power Book. This would put you in the "pannier" solution space though!.
If you want to get exotic on the power supply then check out some of the recent breakthroughs in gel pack based power supplies, they get at least twice the KWhr/Kg ratio over Lithium-Ion.
I think I remember reading way back that Iridium only supports up to 2400 baud. The article (pre-Iridium blowup) predicted that as a reason for a then-future demise of Iridium. Funny that.
as long as that bitch Lover's Arrival doesn't beet me to it
Clarity does not require the absence of impurities,
Clarity does not require the absence of impurities,
only that the impurities contribute to understanding
I did RAGBRAI last year, and had a blast..you should see what people haul on their bikes....a fully stocked bar, a kitchen sink, a barbaque, inflatable women, sheep, etc. , stereo systems that you can hear from at least a mile away...
Kenwood's VC-H1 is a hand-held slow-scan TV device. Although it is being sold as amateur radio equipment, you could certainly interface it to a CB or FRS radio instead: http://www.kenwood.net/ama_categories.cfm http://www.kenwood.net/products/index.cfm?AMA=open &ama_hheld=open&radio=VC-H1&selection=Amateur&ID=5 1
On the receiving end, you could probably get away with hooking a matching radio to a PC via the sound card and using a software based modem to decode the incoming images. The VC-H1 speaks a wide variaty of image languages.
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...you can hang some sort of button at the end of a serial wire - this way you can click off picts at will in addition to the scheduled snapshots.
ricoh's top of the line digital camera can probably do what you want. You probably need to connect a cell phone for the data connectivity, but you won't need a PC or PDA in the middle. i don't know if the camera is out yet -- but maybe Ricoh would loan you one for the trip.
A satellite phone w/ an IP adapter coupled with a PDA that has USB (like the Jornada) and a lot of spare batteries should cure what ails ya!
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$ chown -R us:us yourbase
I must say..... damn cool. I appologize for being lame but I just thought I'd acknowledge you...
.: 2+2 = PI SQRT(1+N)
The July 2000 issue of Linux Journal had a story about a prof at the University of Tornoto had created a watch in 1998 running linux that has a video camera. Here's the article: http://www2.linuxjournal.com/lj-issues/issue75/399 3.html.
the good ground has been paved over by suicidal maniacs
Take a webcam, some duct tape, a heavy chain, and some black electrical tape. Step 1) Duct tape the webcam to the handlebars.
Step 2) Attach the chain to the front of the bike
Step 3) Attach the other end to a truck
Step 4) Wrap the chain with the electrical tape
Step 5) Tell everyone that the chain is actually a network cable
Step 6) Beat the guy in 2nd place by 3.4 hours.
Step 7) Celebrate, blaming MicroSoft for the webcam not working.
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Let me give you the lowdown
for the camera only. As for transferring the data and such, you'll have to look elsewhere.
I do.
blog
You're kidding, right? The Phusion was out before Christmas. I recently saw them on clearance sale at a local megabox store for about $80.
If you can't find one, it's because you're looking in the wrong place. Try the toy department, not the PDA counter.
It seems to kind have flopped this christmas, so jump out and get one now if you want it.
Pictures from Amazon.com and VTech...
Two things, the weather, and my critique of your hardware requirements:
Yeah, this would all be good in a controlled environment, but you ahve to take the weather into consideration. RAGBRAI is in the hottest part of the summer. In Iowa, that means 80% humidity and temperatures reaching over 100 degrees on the pavement. Truly miserable weather, especially when carrying heavy equipment. (and 10 lbs can be quite a load when biking for 500 miles)
So, you have to take heat into account. Most electronic equipment generate a lot of heat, and the humidity doesn't help either.
And speaking of humidity, we need to consider the freak weather. When it's hot and humid, thunderstorms develop very quickly, and downpours can hit you in a second. Waterproofing the stuff has to be a top priority. I'd suggest some sort of quick-release harness, and a water-proof zippered bag that hangs off the bike.
Finally, my 386 can handle high-res image conversion. it might take a minute to download each picture, but this isn't a real-time situation here. A cheap PDA will EASILY be able to handle the situation, regardless of the resolution. And the handspring Visor has both a Camera module *and* a cellular modem option. So, my idea is to make a harness on the front of the bike, and schedule a picture to be taken every 5 minutes or so. When the PDA gets full maybe after 3 hours or so, swap the Springboard modules, and download to the website.
Camera option #2.
Use a digital camera that stores pics onto a CompactFlash stick. Since you can get CF sticks that hold 32 or 64 MB, you can store quite a few pics between modem updates. Whenever you take a break (every couple of hours), go to your chase vehicle and swap memory sticks with them. They're going to be bored anyway, right?
And, we're not caring about the RAGBRAI, it's the crazy parties that are held every night after each day's race! That's what I want pictures of!
GSM is simply a set of frequencies & protocols. It's a European standard that's been extremely succesful, there's some of it on the NA coasts in dense areas but not much outside them. It's digital, uses towers like everyone else, nothing particularly exotic except for it being common most everywhere else and often using a small card for transferring the users network identity between phones. The only provider I can think of off-hand was Voicestream (who knows what brand they are this week.)
PCS is slightly more likely to be availaible but not much. Also primarily availiable in metropolitan areas it's a digital format that does oftentimes have provisions for reasonably fast data transmission (depends on the local service provider.) Generally this simply requires an overpriced serial-to-phone cable or in some cases an infrared link.
The third option would be of course good ole analog cellphone service. This has the widest distribution, the greatest range, and although it's slower then the other options it'll get through more of the time. Here you really are using a modem and it's just like plugging into a landline, albeit a very poor quality one.
Since most long-distance races take place away from metropolitan areas and since it's unlikely that a racer can stop to transmit when conditions are best it looks like analog is a must. It has the greatest chance of getting through when the racers are having a break and are free to mess about with this sort of stuff.
Of course there are many dual and tri mode phones so it's not an either/or proposition (my Motorola 7868W is 2 analog / 1 PCS channel.) If you're really interested in doing this then cut a deal with a provider with good local coverage and ask for a phone, airtime, & tech support in return for putting a link to them on the website.
Finally many companies have mobile relays for deployment at events like fairs, sports events, etc. where there will be lots of customers but only intermittantly and not worth a permanent relay. You may well be able to get the provider to shadow the race with their mobile realy truck providing service to all of the riders & support folks.
I don't read ACs: If a post isn't worth so much as a nom de plume to its author then I wont bother either.
I'm currently working on a project that involves video communication using a PDA over amateur radio links (which are limited only to 1500watts), solving the distance and cost problem, however, it will be some time before it is completed...perhaps by july I just may have a working prototype :)
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Intelligence is definitely a recessive trait.
Webcam images are bad enough on a stationary platform with constant lighting...
And you want to put a webcam on a moving, vibrating bicycle? Is there really a web audience for hundreds of blurry, badly contrasted and essentially unrecognizable images?
Follow the lessons from Critical Mass. Stick with a decent handheld digital camera.
Oh yeah...Mounting it on the bike is a bad idea. From a photo composition POV as well as from a mechanical one.
"You can't have everything. Where would you keep it?" -- Steven Wright
Tape a camcorder onto one handlebar, and hang a bang of blank video tapes on the other. When the film runs out, remove the video tape and toss it over your shoulder. Have a friend collect them.
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You should look at stuff that already exsists.. it's not that expensive. Here is a place that sell what you are exactly looking for.
------88-------- Sig? Sorry, I don't smoke.
The two questions which IMHO would need to be answered to favor a dynamo over a solar panel would be
By the way, if you look at these voltage and current output figures for a crystalline solar cell, a small (12"x12") module would provide well more than enough power (over 100 watts) to the system. So huge isn't required....Open Source isn't the only answer -- but it's almost always a better value than the alternatives...