An Open Digital Camera

Amnon Dekel

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Does an Open Digital Camera Exist?

• Digita?– Partially open, but has disappeared off the

map [Why?]

• gPhoto?– Just interfacing with cameras

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Why an open Camera?

• Research is stifled as a result of proprietary technologies

• New ideas are hard to explore and test– E.g. the Refocusable camera

• Research is Expensive

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Expensive!

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What is an Open Camera?

• What Technologies?

• What Hardware?

• What Software?

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Technologies

• Sensors

• Image Processing and Recognition

• Communications

• Display

• General Computing

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Hardware

• Sensors– Imaging– Motion– Location– More?

• DSP(s)• Controller• CPU• Display(s)

• GPU?• Audio Processor• Memory• Communications

Interfaces– IP, 802.11,

Cellular?– Wired and Wireless

interfaces

• More?

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Software

• Open OS• Image Processing and Recognition• Audio Processing and Playback• Image compression (+ raw)• Video Codec(s)• On Board Server• On Board Editor/Debugger• Open SDK• Hardware Programmer/Debugger

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How to make this happen?

• Research the hardware and software needed for the project

• Acquire/Develop the hardware needed

• Develop a hardware platform

• Develop an open software platform

• Develop novel applications over this platform.

• Add hardware elements as needed to the platform

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Yeah- lets be realistic!

• OK- until you get your $1M grant, what can you do?

• Low Cost Open camera:

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Low Cost Open Camera

1. Take a box

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Low Cost Open Camera

2. Take a web cam

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Low Cost Open Camera

3. Take small laptop (with built in wireless )

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Low Cost Open Camera

•Voila!

• Ahem… Why do this?

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Low Cost Open Camera

• The Open Box Camera is useful because:– Test real world scenarios Today– Explore interesting applications and

technologies Today without waiting for the hardware dev environments to catch up

– Low Risk: Lets you prove to yourself that there are interesting problems to solve or explore without spending too much money on it in the process