internet (ip) camera vs. cmucam/blackfin

[andd64]

Hey guys,

So im building a robot that has to follow humans around.  I need help selecting a camera - the robot will be about 4 feet behind a human at all times so what is the better choice - cmucam or blackfin or an internet camera.  Roborealm works with a few internet cameras but do any of you suggest getting one over another?  Colour tracking is important to me.  The reason I mentioned internet camera is because I don't have a laptop physically on the robot, I'll be streaming info bot-PC via bluetooth - with the internet camera it will be much easier to send information to the PC and then from there to the robot.

Let's say I have a budget of around $150.  Any suggestions on what to get? 

Also if you know of a good place (toronto - canada) to buy a camera from please let me know?

Thanks

[Admin]

Seen this yet?
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robot_faq.shtml#camera_microcontroller

[andd64]

yeah i've read it.  but it doesnt say anything about ip cameras?

[Admin]

Roborealm can be used as an IP cam

http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=4781.0

[hgordon]

Roborealm can be used as an IP cam

http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=4781.0

Right - that's basically how Roborealm interfaces to the SRV-1 Blackfin with the WiFi interface.  However, that combination won't fit into your $150 budget.

[andd64]

ok but i just want to know which one would be more effective quality wise, an ip camera or cmucam or blackfin.

Right - that's basically how Roborealm interfaces to the SRV-1 Blackfin with the WiFi interface.  However, that combination won't fit into your $150 budget.

let's say for a minute i forget about budgets, what do you suggest?

[hgordon]

I haven't used CMU cam, so someone else will have to answer that.

An IP camera will probably have dedicated compression hardware, so it will provide a higher frame rate through the network.  The Blackfin is programmable, plus it has interfaces to sensors and motor controls, so you can run on-board image processing and robot control algorithms and you don't need any other interface hardware.

[andd64]

ok but in regards to following a human around at a distance of say 4 ft, will the blackfin be able to do the job?

[hgordon]

It's a matter of software, but assuming you have worked out your tracking algorithms, the processor and camera are certainly capable.

[andd64]

so if you had to pick hgordon, would you pick a blackfin or just use a webcam with roborealm?

[hgordon]

It's probably not a fair question because I'm the builder of the SRV-1 Blackfin boards, so I already have a strong bias. 

The main advantage of the Blackfin approach is that you have an onboard processor that has motor control and support for various sensors, so unless you are carrying a PC on the robot, you have to provide for remote control as well as the webcam interface with the webcam approach.  However, the remote PC approach gives you lots of computing power, so there is a tradeoff.

[andd64]

lol hgordon its ok at least you're a lot better informed!  well this may be a stupid question but if i did get the blackfin, would the only way to transmit the video to a pc (not on the robot) wirelessly be to get the "SRV-1 Blackfin Camera + WiFi" system?

You're right in that it's over my budget - $325 will definitely hurt me.  It said on the site that theres a discount for educational institutions - I'm doing a thesis for my university, would this be considered applicable for the discount? Can you tell me how much it would be?

The motor control doesn't really matter to me, because i'll be driving wheelchair motors, and i'll have to get separate controllers for them anyways.  Maybe in my case it's better to go w/ a webcam with roborealm (save a couple hundred dollars and put that money towards other stuff on my bot?)

thanks for your help

[hgordon]

Right - it's $325, but there is a 10% education discount.  You can probably drive the wheelchair motor electronic speed controller direct from the Blackfin PWM outputs, e.g. lots of our users interface to Dimension Engineering  controllers.