Slashdot Mirror
A Reconfigurable High-Res Network Camera
An anonymous reader writes "This technical article describes the architecture and design philosophy behind the Elphel Model 313, an intelligent 1.3 megapixel network camera that delivers full-sized images at up to 15 frames per second. The design of the Model 313, which has an embedded Linux computer based on an Axis ETRAX 100LX RISC processor, makes use of a reconfigurable Xilinx FPGA for much of the camera's internal control logic. Because both the embedded software and FPGA hardware algorithms are released as open source technologies, developers can readily customize the Model 313's operation to meet specialized requirements."
but can I mount it on my model train?
There is no reasonable defense against an idiot with an agenda
:wq
can it run on lin...ahhh, never mind
"Some fight for law. Some fight for justice. What will you fight for? One day, you will see."
Yep. Its' offcial:
Slashvertisements work!
Just read this:
[..] and after it was mentioned on Slashdot my company (Elphel Inc.) was flooded with inquiries regarding general purpose network cameras
Moderation: +4. Modded 70% Funny and 30% Overrated. 100% Saturated.
I think the thing that stops a lot of people from buying network cameras is that they are too expensive, so people only buy them when they are absolutely necessay. Otherwise, people just get an old machine they had laying around and hook it up to a webcam/video camera/digital camera.
I know I would like a couple network cams at my house, but the price is still beyond what I would pay for something I don't really need.
However, the 1.3mp is a plus - but you could probably get an old computer and an older 1.3mp camera for much cheaper. The only reason you would really need a network cam is if space was an issue. If there was ever one for sale for around $100, I would buy one. Until then, I just don't need one that bad.
Interesting that this one as well as all the axis ones run linux.
If you had nuts on your chin, would they be chin nuts?
Nice, at last a webcam with a decent resolution.
HID is the Human ID at a Distance program that DARPA is working on. Their goal is to develop technology to be able to positively ID individuals from a camera at a distance of 150 feet.
You can check it out here.
I've recently bought a Fuji S602Z - lovely camera, but there are a few little features it'd be nice to have that it doesn't have at present. I'm sure many of them wouldn't be too hard to code, but currently I just have to hope that Fuji will make the changes in any firmware update that they do.
An example is exposure gating. Currently my camera will take a series of three pictures, one normal, and two with slightly higher and lower exposure levels than the current setting. I'd like to be able to set this to five or more levels as it would be very useful for taking high dynamic range pictures. (You take a series of pictures at different exposures and combine them to produce a pictures that that a might higher range than a standard picture) Unfortunately, it's a bit of a niche need (useful largely only in post-production) and it seems unlikely that Fuji will implement it.
> Because both the embedded software and FPGA hardware algorithms are released as open source technologies, developers can readily customize the Model 313's operation to meet specialized requirements.
Great. I'll start reconfiguring it to capture 5 Megapixels right away!
--
Drug, Noun: A substance that, injected into a rat, produces a scientific paper
I would love it if there was a 6 Megapixel camera with a TCP/IP interface. I'm building a system where we have to use SLRs with digital backs in embedded applications (and they don't last long there!) just to get the resolution we need.
Best Buy can have you arrested
Hmm... Lemme guess what the license for an open source camera would be like:
Whenever you distribute pictures taken with this camera, you have to distribute the negatives too
At last, my geek porn site is one step closer to reality!
Eeeexxxcelllent...
--
When in doubt, f*ck it. When not in doubt, get in doubt!
Not unless you want a network cable following the train everywhere! for that you would want a wireless 802.11b network camera... But that's an expensive train @ $300-$400 a pop!
If you had nuts on your chin, would they be chin nuts?
Imagine you whole processor made out of FPGAs. Then, when the compiler detects there's a whole bunch of multiplication coming up, it instructs the processor to reconfigure itself to be good at multiplication, on the fly!.
Or, when you do a lot of I/O, reconfigure the processor to have more concurrent access to your cache.
The possibilities are endless.
<grub> Reading
The moment I get mysql running on my webcam is the moment I realize I'll be single for life.
/^[A-Z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Z0-9.-]+\.[A-Z]{2,4}$/i
And don't give him anymore ideas! That poor train is tattered enough!!
If you had nuts on your chin, would they be chin nuts?
and you have a top notch security system. Real time cam monitoring from a laptop or other portable. Track the criminals down on the fly. Or what bout roaming cameras in high risk venues. Just my $.032 CDN
If we don't fight for ourselves no one will.
I was just imagining an HO railyard of these things.
Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
I mean come on - it wasn't even attatched to a model train!
Yeah, sorry - bracketing - I only just got the camera, but as on the Fuji you can set the amount by which it changes the exposure each way, it should be possible to use it for generating the HDR images that we normally by setting the exposure by hand for each shot. Normally we use a higher end SLR digital, but if you adjust the exposure by hand you can sometimes jog the camera on its tripod, that results in the images being slightly offset. With cameras like the Nikon D1 you control them from an attached laptop, but it's easier if you can get the camera to do them itself.
You know, the ones that are hanging out in my house all the time when I'm not home?
Will there be popup ads? God I love popup ads.
You can check it out here"
That's 150 meters, not 150 feet.
How many 6 Megapixel shots from your fixed network camera do you need? Do you think your fishtank is that interesting to people?
Honestly, the interesting part here is that it's a self-contained network camera. Jamming features into a device doesn't necessarily make it better. If it's primary purpose is a webcam, then you don't want huge downloads... hence the jpeg compression.
This is a little off topic, but I'll ask anyway:
For a fun project, I am building an automated microscope and need to buy a camera. I would like >1000x1000 pixels, I have to be able to control the camera from a c++ program (snap, grab, window of interest, exposure time). I would also like to do the project in Linux, but Windows is also an option. Microscope cameras tend to be very expensive (I'd like to pay $1000). Do you think this camera would be appropriate? If not, does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks.
ps.
Many people use the Nicon coolpix 950 for microscope projects, but there doesn't seem to be an sdk for it, so this is not an option for me.
See, this is why modding down "trolls" is bad too.
/.
Sure, hasnoi was repeating oft-heard themes. Did his comment ruin anyone's day? No, and it's funnier than most of the (Score:5, funny) crap on
Somedays I wish I could serve it to all the idiot mods out there. Metamod doesn't give me nearly the outlet I desire.
Yes, posting at +2. Maybe that way someone will actually see my comment. If they pageview in the next two minutes.
There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
I require about 12 pages of overly detailed story before I can make the informed decision of whether to put this on my model train.
Good Artists, make sure you steal the Good Stuff.
...about Augusta not letting females play there and all, but to break off and start an FPGA is going to far.
1. Detect when hot chicks are in front of the camera
2. Start recording at maximum frames per second
Granted, this is hardware speed, so encoding the massive data steam from the camera into a compressed but high quality playback format is another task for another machine or machines. But I'm still impressed.
As an example of why, take three of these, throw in some quality studio lighting, and come up with some editing software and hardware to mix the feeds together -- it looks to me like a person [with the technical knowledge to use the equipment and get good looking results] could create their own low cost production facility -- while still delivering image quality higher than is currently broadcast by most network and/or cable TV channels.
...Open Source isn't the only answer -- but it's almost always a better value than the alternatives...
It does Auto bracketing, +/- 3 or 5 steps of 0.3, 0.7, or 1.0 stops. The camera has so many features I have barely begun to explore them. This isn't a Camera that has a computer controlling it, It is a computer that takes pictures. In manual mode it has: 7 different white balance modes, 4 differnt light metering modes, 4 different "film speed" simulations, 3 focus modes, 5 different multi-shot options. I just keep it on automatic mode and it takes great pictures no matter what you throw at; from sunsets to still life flower arangments:
Free cell phone tracking
Yeah. That's what I meant. All your upmodded stuff tends to be crap. I mean... Also, wtf is the origin of the IN SOVIET RUSSIA joke? It's funny as hell. It's up there with my favorite joke of all:
"Why did the girl fall out of the swing?"
[pause]
"Because she didn't have any arms."
Go, team, go!
There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
Unfortunately, most consumer digital cameras cannot be controlled by computer.
Reconfigurable High-Res Network Camera watch YOU
unless there is a way to "compile" it.
;)
I admit I know very little about Verilog, but VHDL (a very similar Hardware Definition Language) tools are extremely expensive. However, you don't "compile" VHDL into hardware, you synthesize and P&R it, and if you use the wrong word people stare at you blankly and pretend they don't know what you mean.
A compiler (compilers are used ONLY in simulation and are otherwise useless) and simulator like Modeltech costs $1000 for a crippled version, about $4000 for a complete version. You really can't work without these tools.
Synplify Pro, a logic synthesizer, costs $48,000 (not including support) but a crippled version can be bought at a bargain for a little under $20,000 (though I heard rumor of someone selling it for less than $10,000).
The synthesized logic then has to be mapped, places and routed, and turned into a binary. P&R tools like Xilinx ISE (slogan: "All the speed you need" puh-lease) cost around either $3,000 or $6,000, I don't remeber which at the moment.
I know there are open source tools, but they aren't taken seriously by the people I've worked with (which honestly doesn't mean that much...).
Maybe Verilog tools are cheaper, but I was under the impression that both languages are extremely similar, the differnce being Verilog looks like the chicken-scratch language C and VHDL looks like the elegant and readable Pascal.
Also, VHDL is part of my favorite acronym:
VITAL, where the V stands for VHDL, where the V stands for VHSIC, (which stands for Very High Speed Integrated Circuit, I think)
Michael Crichton's new novel Prey involves what could be described as a reconfigurable high-res network camera.
It learns to eat people.
In the book an old man is recalling the "good old days," and in particular TV shows he used to watch. His young grandaughter is puzzled by this and responds:
"But grandfather, you don't watch TV. TV watches you."
By the way, been to a mall or a major airport lately?
( Cue Twiglight Zone theme)
KFG
BTW, may I recommend the following optimization to your sig...
2 87578439ddlbx'|dc
echo '[q]sa[0=alc%Plc/ddlbx]sb256sc3135071790101768542
In fact, since you're not using extended ASCII, you could use 127sc, or even base c off of the highest value you're using plus one.
Yeah, I know.. I really need one! *sigh*
All you need to know.
And I don't remember voting for comedian of the year. Maybe the Supreme Court appointed him.
It's ok to showcase the technology of microsoft, apple, ibm, hp, etc.
But if it is a small company, then discussing it on slashdot is bad?
I for one would like to see more stories on small companies using open-source to try be make a profit. In a small way this should help promote open source adoption, as well as encourage more of people to support or start open source companies.
Based on upvotes, Ageism is the only "-ism" Slashdotters care about and think isn't SJW
Does anyone know of any $200 megapixel grade solutions?
Maybe a digital camera with firewire output?
DIY solutions welcome.
Myren.
...but is it wireless?
:P )
Can I put a PCMCIA 802.11b adapter into it? (and use the tracks as an antenna?
What's this Submit thingy do?
OMG! Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these things!
[ 8^p ]
Show us some JPEGs... Isnt anyone curious what the output looks like?