Motion tracking web cam

[4by4]

I am looking at various alternatives for a target tracking turret, where the target is a robot. Has anyone used one of the motion tracking web cams? I know nothing about them. Can they track arbitrary objects? Can they track only large objects (large apparent size)?

[ArcMan]

I have messed around with Roborealm software running on a PC with a webcam.  It can determine motion of any sized object within the field of vision.  This information can be used to determine the location of the motion in the field of vision.  You can then track with this data.

[superchiku]

motion tracking via image processing can be done.....there are many algos which are present to track motion..but basically i would alwayz like to mix and match such algos and use it for my purpose....although i recmmend using any library for processing such elements...but i guess its upto u ...if u want roborealm then very well go for it...

[4by4]

I was referring to the web cams that have the motion tracking built in, including the pan/tilt motors. They cost about $30, although I'm not sure they are still sold. Some of the places I searched for them show them out of stock.

[4by4]

OK this vendor has them in stock but at a higher price, $89:

http://www.hammacher.com/publish/76339.asp?promo=new_items

[MaltiK]

definitely roborealm.com being the best choice...

[superchiku]

no roborealm is not the best choice for it....its easy to use that doesnt mean its the best....its upto u to decide...

[MaltiK]

no roborealm is not the best choice for it....its easy to use that doesnt mean its the best....its upto u to decide...

its always up to him to decide...
and "the best" is a matter of opinion no matter what purpose, who is doing or what its doing, the best of one person will always differ from the best of another...
and are you going to actually recommend a program, or just criticize someone else's opinion?

[superchiku]

nt criticizing...pppl getting so crazy with roborealmfor its ease in use tat they forget its drawbacks ...i use both roborealm and opencv...but if given the choice i would alwayz opt for opencv coz here the manipulation of pixels is at our commmand and we can implement our own algo's...its my choice may not be urs..

[MaltiK]

nt criticizing...pppl getting so crazy with roborealmfor its ease in use tat they forget its drawbacks ...i use both roborealm and opencv...but if given the choice i would alwayz opt for opencv coz here the manipulation of pixels is at our commmand and we can implement our own algo's...its my choice may not be urs..

people getting crazy with roborealm?

And roborealm allows for the manipulation of pixels just as much as opencv, if not more (yes I use opencv as well). There is even a customized VB script that allows manipulation of individual pixels on the website, probably not very practical for a robot enthusiast though.

[4by4]

The only reason I would consider a motion tracking web cam is because you don't need Roborealm and you don't need to write any code. The video processing is in the driver. I would probably still have to hack the pan/tilt servos to get the track control info. In any case it's not a preferred option for me, because I don't really want a PC in the loop.

As an aside - I used to do pixel level processing back in the days of the 386 (circa 1990), with no special packages. I used a cheap frame grabber and simple Quick Basic programs in DOS. Very easy to do frame difference, object detection, edge filtering, texture analysis, etc. Of course back then we didn't need no stinkin Windows, GUIs, VB, etc.

[superchiku]

wats the pleasure in doing a bot whe u dont code in ur own algos and see it run in the machine...a cam which can do it all is not my cup of tea ...its better and more satisfying if i do it myself...