19 gram HD camera mounted on 33" FE Monohull

[questtek]

All you FE guys might find this technology of interest. I mounted a 19 gram ultra-miniature video camera, (MicroCam), that I help develop in a waterproof housing (with glass lens) on the back of a 33” fiberglass mono hull FE. The boat can hit 50 MPH but the most interesting thing is watching the video as if you were actually inside the cockpit of the boat yourself.

To my knowledge this is the first ultra-miniature HD video and audio/DVR, (720P), to provide a full 30 fps with no image smearing. This is the very first pre-production camera unit and I hand-carried it back from China about two weeks ago. I am working with the high-technology electronics factory that will produce this particular camera in China. I think it has great potential.

The MicroCam features a brand new 2 Megapixel image chip Manufactured in the US and used in the newer cell phones. This image chip itself has the ability to process video at 60 fps but the current limitation is in the digital image processing “brain” and the speed of data transfer to the 2 to 16 Gb Micro SD card that stores the audio/video. The MicroCam has a built-in LiPo battery (included in the 19 gram weight), that can be charged via its mini USB port.

There are four improvements I want t make before this newest MicroCam goes into full production. I will be back to China in a few weeks to continue by engineering work with the factory. In the mean time, I will be posting more onboard video from several other FE boats I have set up.

This is the link to the Utube video is below. HOWEVER, I just posted the video and it may take a bit of time for Utube to load it onto their site. Hopefully it will be processed by the time you read this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LQxwZE2GLI&feature=youtube_gdata

[ozzie-crawl]

awsome video :buttrock:
here is one i did a few years ago,cock pit view not HD tho
5BPBY4tP61c

[Ub Hauled]

Niiiiiiiice joe!
It holds really well, no electronic interference, non shock interference, sound is good quality as well... can't wait to see that little thing up close!

[NativePaul]

Very nice, I too am impressed by the stability of the picture. If I may make a few comments, I suggest you upload a clip to a host that can actually handle the raw 720 footage rather than downsizing it to 480 as youtube is doing which would really show off the capabilities of the unit and differentiate it from the myriad of $20 Chinese 30fps 480res keychain cameras in image quality as well as image stability. The keychain cameras cant turn off the time/date stamp, if yours can that would be a definite selling point. If we take the aforementioned keychain cameras (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ugcA31hqIw) as a baseline and based on your 480res clip on youtube I would pay 2-3 times that for your stability of image/lack of smearing say $50, another 50% if you show 720res clips and it does that as well as it looks at 480 which takes it to $75, $10 to get rid of the time/date stamp and $15 for a waterproof enclosure with glass lens window, so I would potentially pay up to $100 for it. BUT with the lens orientated the way it is so it has to be mounted on its end I just cant see a way of mounting it securely enough to withstand a blowover or rollover at speed without roughing up the bottom of the enclosure and a patch on the hull and epoxying it on permanently which I would be unwilling to do, with that being said its disposable running on a lucky timed fuse and worth $10 maybe $40 if it floats in the enclosure as I have a chance of getting it back. I would MUCH prefer that the lens was in one of the ends of the camera or even failing that in the side as it is now but rotated 90 degrees so it could easily and securely be taped down flat to my R/Cs temporarily.

[Steven Vaccaro]

Wow, nice and sharp!

[westbeach]

Impressive video quality. Me likes!

[Gerwin Brommer]

I've bought one of these on Ebay.
http://www.geekalerts.com/spycam-car-keychain/
$9.09 incl. shipping from Hongkong.

[vvviivvv]

id prob buy one as a helmet cam for when im out on my downhill bike...

wrap it in about 4 layers of carbon- Kevlar and it should be ok

a decent helmet cam for bikes is about £300...

[ozzie-crawl]

sorry should have said on my video post the only reason i put it up was for comparison, the camera used on mine is whats being sold for rc use
but shows just how much better questteks camera is.

[questtek]

sorry should have said on my video post the only reason i put it up was for comparison, the camera used on mine is whats being sold for rc use
but shows just how much better questteks camera is.

Thanks but I really appreciate seeing your video and getting all the comments. This is the reason to post............ to get others impression and suggestions. I have always found this very helpful.

The camera is a works in progress and I learned more today with additional onboard testing with Wolf V and FE wantabe (Josh and Brad)

The keychain carmera is a great little unit for the price and one of the one of three different inexpensive models I have been testing against. I would recommend it to anyone. I even gave one to Josh to mount on one of his FE's. My intent is a camera that has a considerable improvement in image quality and frame rate.

WIll be posting more technical stuff next regarding the new camerai

[ozzie-crawl]

the recorder used in my video is not mine.
do you have a rough price on a unit yet

[Xcesive8]

For the extra Quality you get with this unit, id just accept it went out with one of these attached to it :beerchug:

[daveives]

Memory card (4GB class 4 $11.24 shipped):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820178193

Camera (720x480 @ 30fps $15.89 shipped):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160377621267#ht_3038wt_941

[Brushless55]

these gum cameras are cool, and have been around for a bit..
they are great on rc planes to
wish they had a true 1080p HD this small

[Rumdog]

Tha is AWESOME!!