Uses of industrial vision products

Military technology is constantly increasing and that means the military’s need for industrial cameras is growing. As the want for unmanned vehicles such as the RQ4 go up so does the demand for the cameras that allow them to operate without anyone in them. This got me thinking, military always gets technology before it is released to the public. What else needs cameras to be able to operate? What else in daily life uses industrial vision systems?

Of course you have the UAV’s, rovers and maritime vessels and unmanned tanks but what else uses industrial imaging devices for operation? Weapons, several missiles use advanced tracking systems that call for high end cameras such as the Sony FCB-EX980s and the FCB-H11 to keep them on track. The CornerShot is a firearm aptly named which allows the operator to fire rounds from around a corner. Keeping the operator safe is  the main goal of this weapon and it warns them what is around every corner with a sighted vision system. Depending on the camera placed on this system the operator can send the video feed to other crew members and see in  thermal or infrared when normal vision is limited.

Industrial cameras are also used in factory automation such as high output manufacturing plants and assembly lines, like auto manufactures use . I can almost guarantee that  pesky ticket you received for speeding or running a red light had something to do with an industrial camera weather it was in the car that pulled you over or put on the side of the road with a speed trigger. That picture that got you a hefty fine is not the first time you and your vehicle have been caught on camera either. If you have ever been through a dive through wither food or pharmacy they use industrial vision systems also. If you have a newer vehicle you might have back up sensors or a back up camera, also industrial vision.

Other places industrial vision is used:

• Security
• Anything automated
• Surveillance
• Weather
• Product monitoring
• Telescopes
• Broadcasting
• Film
• Concerts
• Search and rescue
• And more

-BRADLEY FRY

Unmanned vehicles and the cameras they use

For the past 10 years military technology has seemed to lean more and more towards expanding unmanned vehicles. There is one thing all unmanned vehicles have in common, the need for a camera. Maritime, land, and air all call for an industrial imaging device to relay video data feed from the vehicle back to the operator.

RQ-4 GLOBAL HAWK

10 years ago video feed was blurry and cutout over half of the time. In today’s military, top of the line imaging sensors like the 1/4 inch CMOS and CCD sensors used in Sony’s block cameras are used. Not just for the main feed from sensor to operator but for a vast array of applications on the vehicle. Some sensors and cameras are dedicated to the infrared spectrum for night operation, while others are used to monitor what is on all sides of the vehicle and the distance of the object.

Block cameras like Sony’s FCB line, which includes cameras like the FCB-EX480 and the FCB-EX980 are perfect for application on unmanned vehicles where PTZ are not of importance. I.E. monitoring whats happening underneath a bomb squads unmanned rover. PTZ’s however are important for the operator to be able to completely control the vehicle through a variety of obstacles. PTZ cameras are almost always used on UAVs, where variables from 360 degrees must be monitored at all times.

Some of the PTZ cameras that can be used are the:

AN UNMANNED VESSEL

• Canon
• VCC 50
• I VBC 60
• VBC 300
• And Sonys
• EVID70
• BRC300
• EVI-HD1
• SNCRZ50N
• and the
• EVID-HD7V

-BRADLEY FRY

Aegis at AUVSI 2009

On August 10th-13th the largest unmanned systems conference and exhibition is back. The AUVSI unmanned systems north America  2009 show is in DC at the Walter E. Washington convention center. Over 300 exhibitors and 5000 plus attendees from over 30 countries or more.  There will be commercial and defense operators from all sides of the unmanned vehicle Field including aerial ground and maritime.

There will also be 90+ presentations on how unmanned vehicle systems can be used in military, civil and commercial applications. There will also be a live demo of the unmanned air and ground vehicles at the Patuxent river navel air station on the 10th. Aegis Electronic Group will also be there  all four days displaying top of the line industrial cameras that work wonders when put into an unmanned vehicle.

Click here for a schedule of the show starting from day one.

-BRADLEY FRY

Analyze with dPict

A high performance video analytics PCI board the Aexeon Analytix from dPict is perfect for security applications or any industrial imaging application that uses video analytics. What is video analytics you ask?

Video analytics is a technology that is used to analyze video for specific data, behavior, objects or attitude. It has a wide range of applications including safety and security. The software algorithms run on processors inside a computer or on an embedded computer platform in video cameras, recording devices, or specialized video processing units. Video analytics algorithms together are integrated with video and called Intelligent Video Software systems that run on standard off-the-shelf computers or embedded into small chips called digital signal processors (DSPs) that run in IP cameras or encoders. The technology can evaluate the contents of video to determine specified information about the content of that video.

For an example if used in a security application it can count every fifth person to pass by it. Used in another application it can be liked to an automation process and pull out items with defects. If the camera you are using is to perform tasks like this it will need a analytics card to process all of this information coming in and the Aexeon Analytix PCI board is the one for the job.

The aexeon analytix is unique  product that adds video analytics onto DVR’s. The analytics card comes in two forms the 200 and 800. The analytixs 800 features four Texas Instruments DM642 processors allowing this card to perform all of the video processing on board.

Other features include:

• PCI add-in card
• Real-time video capture and processing
• Easy integrates into new or existing DVRs
• Up to four Texas Instruments DM642 Digital Media Processors
• Up to eight channels of video processing for video analytics applications
• No host processor usage
• 256 MB SDRAM Frame Buffer
• CCIR viewing and capture resolution
• NTSC and PAL video formats
• Multiple board installation support
• Selectable video terminations
• 8 General purpose I/O triggers
• Windows® 2000, and XP support
• Optional SDK with sample applications

The  Aexeion Analytix board supports the ObjectVideoOnBoard software suite so no Software developers kit is necessary.

-BRADLEY FRY

FCB-H11 With Housing

Extreme environments call for extreme product solutions, and that is exactly what Aegis Electronic Group INC. could offer in the near future. Aegis has already made the incredible Sony FCB-H11 more advanced by offering it in a one of a kind custom built housing with built in SD or HD interface boards that keeps it streamline and adds that last bit of extra protection for the average users. They are also offered with custom cabling in any format that is needed.

But what if your not an average user of the FCB-h11? Where is the housings for the extreme users of block cameras like the Sony FCB-H11? Well things might be looking up for those extreme few. The amazing part about the FCB-H11 is that the housings can be made out of almost any material.

This adds to the protection factor and extends the list of extreme applications that it can be used in. For an example You own property you want protected by the cameras. Normal block cameras would be destroyed in the heat of a possible fire but with a fireproof or fire resistant housing the FCB-H11 would stand up to the challenge and even continue to send video  while the flames enveloped it.

Materials that can be used:

• Aluminum
  

  FCB-H11 in housing

• Anodized aluminum
• Cold resistant
• Fire proof
• Fire resistant
• Materials that are resistant to chemicals such as acid
• Bulletproof lexan and Plexiglas
• Heat treated hardend steel for use in sand blasting chambers
• Waterproof
• And more

The FCB -H11 is an amazing camera that has all the features and options one could need and its only 1 7/8″ x 1 3/4″ x 2 7/8″ and weighs a mere 4.2 oz.

FEATURES:

• 1/3 type CMOS imager
• Approx. 2M effective pixels
• 16×9 Aspect Ratio
• Auto ICR for DaylNight function
• Minimum Illumination – 1.0 lx (ICR On Mode – F1.8 50 IRE)

FCB-H11 Without housing

• TIL signal-level control (VISCA1M protocol)

• 120x optical zoom (10x zoom/12x digital)

• Programmable factory preset
• High Performance Digital Signal Processor (DSP)
• Various customizable settings
• Electronic Shutter/Slow Shutter
• VBS and Y/C video output (SD modes only)
• Picture Freeze Function
• Spot AE
• Internal/External sync
• Small and Compact

-BRADLEY FRY

PTZ Vs. Stationary Industrial Cameras

When given the option of stationary cameras and pan tilt zoom cameras one has to take into consideration a couple of variables.

• Is this camera going to be the only camera in the system or will there be multiples?
• Another option to take into consideration is what type of application this camera will be used in.

Stationary cameras are exactly that, cameras that are fixed into a set position within a certain perimeter to work in. Fixed on a conveyor, they will monitor parts as they pass. Placed on a wall or atop of a building, they will cover the set area with 24/7 surveillance. Stationary cameras are either programmed in correlation with software that applies to the job they are doing or they are plugged into a DVR which records and stores everything that camera sees. Stationary cameras need no operator on hand and can be placed in a dome or fixture for outdoor use and mounted straight to a wall or ceiling for indoor use.

Stationary Camera

Pan/tilt/zoom cameras or PTZ are camera heads that are mounted on top of a motorized base. The motor in the base drives gears which are connected to shafts that turn all of the joints on the camera. The pivot points on a PTZ camera are the pan and tilt. Zoom is controlled electronically by the controller. Pan is the side to side motion most PTZ camera can pan almost 360 degrees. Tilt is the up and down motion. PTZ cameras can be used as a single camera panning around a large area or in a system to offer a larger are of video feed.

PTZ Camera

-BRADLEY FRY

Sony’s new HD PTZ Cameras

Sony visual imaging products division is proud to announce two new PTZ cameras that offer more technology than ever before. At first glance these cameras look just like ordinary IP security cameras but do not be fooled.  State of the art imaging sensor and a base capable of Pan/Tilt/Zoom function make the new EVI-HD1, EVI-D7V, and EVI-HD3V perfect for almost  any application. The new EVI-HD7V and HD3V compliment the HD1 very nicely with improvements like  DVI-I video outputs and the option for a lower 480p resolution.  Both the EVI-HD7V and 3V are also able to switch between Y/Cb/Cr, DVI-1, Y/Pb/Pr, and RGB outputs . With the PTZ base on all three of these cameras it is easy to monitor everything going on within the view and act accordingly. PTZ is a cameras ability to pan side to side, tilt up and down and zoom in and out. PTZ cameras are built with different motors in the base that drive gears connected to a movable point on the camera. All movements on these cameras are controlled using VISCA Protocal. Much like the HD1 the new EVI-HD7V and EVI-HD3V are easy to use HD pan/tilt/zoom cameras that are perfect for numerous applications within the security and surveillance market. They are also perfect working in applications such as broadcasting, traffic enforcement, and manufacturing. Some FEATURES:

• 1/3 type CMOS image sensor
• Approximately 2M effective pixels
• Signal System: 720p/60; 1080i/60
• Video Output: DVI-I (digital and analog), Y/Cb/Cr, Y/Pb/Pr, or RGB selectable
  

  EVI-HD3V

• 10x Optical, 40x digital and optical zoom
• VISCA RS-232C Camera Control Interface
• 6 position presets
• Pan: -100 to +100 deg. (Max. speed 300 deg./sec)
• Tilt: -25 to +25 deg. (Max. speed 125 deg./sec)
• Minimum Illumination: 15 lux (50 IRE, F1.8)
• Horizontal viewing angle: 8˚ (Tele) to 70˚ (Wide)
• Power requirements: 12 V dc (10.8 to 13.0V dc)
• Dimensions: 250 x 152 x 135 mm
• Mass: approx. 1.6kg

-BRADLEY FRY

dPict’s New Frame Grabbers

The Nexeon HD is one of the only full featured video streaming HD capture boardS on the market right now. What makes this board so special you ask? Well to start it is built with analog and digital cameras in mind. It will work for either of the two. Plus it supports analog RGB/YCrCb components, S-video and composite analog inputs as well. It also has capabilities for digital DVI/HDMI inputs. The Nexeon also come standard with integrated on board memory and a video processor. What this means is that the Nexeon HD form dPict imaging inc. will give you the fast reliable video data transfer you have been looking for.

 

DPICT'S NEXEON HD FRAME GRABBER

 

 

The Nexeon features a PCI express interface and HDTV that supports up to 1080 i. It also comes with a simultaneous real-time transfer of video to the system memory , overlay, or display memory.

Some other features this amazing board delivers are:

• TI DM642 Digital Media Processor
• 64 MB SDRAM Frame Buffer
• Acquisition rates up to 150 MHz
• Smooth interpolated video scaling to arbitrarily sized windows
• RGB, YUV, or monochrome pixel formats
• Progressive scan video support
• General purpose I/O triggers
• Packed or planar transfers
• Area of interest transfers to system and onboard memory
• On-board microcontroller for robust timing and capture control
• Programmable LUT
• 12-volt DC fused output for camera supply
• Real-time image processing
• Windows® 2000, and XP drivers
• Includes dPiction Windows®-based video capture application
• DirectShow and TWAIN support
• Optional SDK with sample applications

More specs are available at WWW.AEGIS-ELEC.COM and WWW.DPICTIMAGING.COM.

 

-BRADLEY FRY

Elmo’s POV Camera

Elmo’s new Point Of View (pov) camera stuns all who use it including some of the worlds top athletes. With the usability and functionality the Elmo SUV-Cam 2 is one of the most advanced POV cameras on the today. Extended recording times are possibly thank to the SDHC storage card and quick one push recording. Its easy to see why the the SUV-Cam 2 is a top choice for world renowned drivers, athletes and extreme sports figures.

The SUV-Cam2 supports the new high capacity sd card which has a standard of two gb or higher. This means that with a 16 gb SDHC it can record 704×480 resolution with high video quality and at 25 frames per second it will record 8hrs and 56mins of video. The Elmo POV also comes with an improvement on the head design itself. The camera head has a lens stabilizer inside the camera to protect against loss of focus during intense vibration. This feature on the camera head makes this a perfect fit for vehicle applications such as handlebars on a dirt bike or ATV or dash mounted on a jeep or truck.

SUV-Cam2 is the perfect camera to be mounted to a helmet, car, rocket, bike, and many other surfaces and is great for security applications that need a small hidden out of the way camera. For example surveillance in a location where no normal camera would fit and no normal camera would operate is at a car wash. The Suv-Cam2 can fit right in the dive thru and is water proof.Elmo’s Suv-Cam2 is great for POV shots, security applications, small tight survalence applications and anything else you can think up.

 

Camera head	main unit	Water proofing	IPX8	←
		Total length	80cm	←
			150cm	←
			-	300cm
			-	500cm
		Mass	80cm=Approx.115g	←
			150cm=Approx.150g	←
			-	300cm=Approx.220g
			-	500cm=Approx.310g
		Dimension	diameter ：20mm　length ：84.8mm	←
	Lens	Focal length	3.8mm	←
		F number	2	←
		Horizontal field angle	53.4°	←
		Vertical field angle	40.0°	←
		Focus adjustment	Manual	←
		Shooting range	0.5m to ∞（factory setting）	←
		Lens fixing	Lens stopper ( Rubber spacer )	←
	Camera	Image pickup element	1/4″　CCD	←
		Total picture element	470,000 pixels	←
		Effective number of pixels	440,000 pixels	←
		min. object brightness	2 lx	←
		White balance	Auto/Fixed	←
		Electronic shutter	1/50 to 1/100,000 sec	←
		Resolution	Horizontal：480TV　　Vertica：420TV	←
		S/N ratio	48dB or more	←
Recorder	main unit	LCD monitor	2.2″full color TFT LCD (QVGA)	←
		Built-in microphone	Monaural microphone （Built-in）	←
		Recording medium	SD card (Compatible with FAT12 and FAT16)	←
			SDHC card (Compatible with FAT32)	←
		File format	asf.	←
		Moving image compressed format	Compliant with MPEG4	←
		Audio compression format	Compliant with G.726	←
		Vide output	NTSC/PAL (switches by the setting item. )	←
		Audio input	Input impedance 2.2kΩor more	←
		Audio output	38mW＋ 38mW  (Audio: Monaural) Load impedance 16Ω	←
		USB	USB 2.0	←
		Mass	Approx. 130g (when battery is installed)	←
		Dimension	56mm (Horizontal) x 102mm (Vertical) x 30mm (width)  (Exclude the projection part)	←
	Terminal	Earphone/AV OUT	f3.5 minijack(stereo)	←
		External microphone	f3.5 minijack(monaural) Plug-in power type	←
		DC IN	Dedicated jack	←
	Setting Item	Resolution	[704x480] [640x480] [320x240] [160x128] (W x H)	←
		Video Quality	[High] [Standard] [Low]	←
		Frame Rate	[25] [15] [5] [3] [1] （frame/sec）	←
		Record Mode	[Video＋Audio] [Video]	←
		Display Time	[Video＋Audio] [Video]	←
		Display Brightness	Dark ←→ Bright 　　11 steps	←
		Camera Brightness	Dark ←→ Bright 　　13 steps	←
		Continuous Recording	-	Overwrite the oldest fils every 128MB
		Schedule Recording	-	Up to 10 patterns ( Data, day of the week, Time combined )
		One-push recording	Start recording by REC button at Power OFF	←
		Auto Power OFF	Selectable auto shut down in five minutes	←
		Playback Speed	[x1/2] [x1] [x2] [x4] [x8]	←
		Saving mode	[off] [10sec] [30sec] [1minu] [3minu] [5minu]	←
		Language	[English] [Japanese] [Korean]	←

 

 

HD Capture Card DeckLink Extreme

SD, HD and 2k Blackmagic Designs DeckLink HD Extreme is capable of working in the most extreme conditions. The worlds highest quality capture card has some of the highest quality playback with dual link 4:4:4 and the new 3Gb/s SDI ports. The HD extreme is capable of working in either HD,SD or 2k and can switch outputs between SD, HD, SDI, HDMI and analog component’s .

This HD capture card will also support 4:4:4 and real time 2k capture and playback. 4 lane PCI express makes sure all of the data is transferred at top speeds. The HD Extreme also supports full HD keying, 2k film and 1080p video formats and also has a 2 channel xlr audio, 2 channels of AES/EBU audio video support for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

The DeckLink HD Extreme is the perfect capture card for cameras such as the Iconix RH1F HD remote camera head.

 

 

 

 

With features like this,

• Fiber Optic directly from camera
• Uses Industry-standard fiber SFP modules
• Dual link and single link capability
• Genlock from fiber, SDI or analog
• Simultaneous fiber genlock and transmission (with transceiver SFP module.
  

its important for the Iconix to have a top of the line capture card that is able to keep pace with it like the Blackmagic Designs DeckLink HD Extreme.

 

Some of the specs. on the Blackmagic Designs DeckLink HD Extreme.

SDI Video	Dual Link 3 Gb/s SD/HD/2K
Analog Video	Component/S-Video/Composite
HDMI Video	Yes
SDI Audio	16 Channels HD/2K, 8 Channels SD
Analog Audio	2 Channels Balanced
HDMI Audio	Yes
AES Audio	4 Channels Un-balanced
Optical Fiber	None
Sync Input	Tri-Sync or Black Burst
Device Control	Sony™ RS-422 Compatible
Down Converter	High Quality Hardware Based
Typical HD-SDI Jitter*	79 ps (+0.107 UI) at 100 kHz
Typical SD-SDI Jitter*	253.2 ps (+0.068 UI) at 10 Hz
PCI Express	4 Lane