NEC shows off fluorescent light-powered wireless camera

It looks like those looking to put together a quick and easy surveillance system for spying on their employees could soon find their solution courtesy of NEC, which is set to debut a new security cam that draws all its power from a standard fluorescent light. But that's not all, the camera also boasts some built-in 802.11b WiFi capabilities to stream all that video (or, more specifically, an image every ten seconds) back to a PC, which can presumably be used to monitor dozens of these little all-seeing wonders. No word on a price or release date, but NEC will apparently have more to say about it at the iExpo2007 conference that gets underway in Tokyo on December 5th.

[DAvid Relan @ Nov 30th 2007 4:44PM]

I wonder why i did not think of that.

[Blackstar @ Nov 30th 2007 5:12PM]

They need to make one that is powered by the employees themselves. Just make that ring large enough to fit around their necks.

[E @ Oct 24th 2008 1:52PM]

But when the employees get lazy and slack off the cameras would turn off. So you'd never catch them not working...

[Blackstar @ Dec 1st 2007 7:29PM]

I don't care if anyone is working. I want to see who is stealing my potato chips damn it.

[JBoll @ Dec 1st 2007 10:46AM]

Very good twist on existing technologies.

[rzlmlchm009 @ Nov 30th 2007 4:52PM]

So, for somebody to disable the security cameras, all they have to do is turn off the lights. Genious.

[blade417 @ Nov 30th 2007 4:54PM]

they would really be in trouble if the clapper was installed.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Nov 30th 2007 6:58PM]

Einstein, the word is Genius.

[Conaill @ Nov 30th 2007 8:48PM]

Nothing a little rechargeable battery couldn't fix. Besides, why take images when there's not enough light for the camera?

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Dec 1st 2007 12:16AM]

Most CCD and CMOS cameras are sensitive to IR light which the human eye cannot see. A simple low power IR light emitting diode built in to the camera or separate IR illuminator(s)placed throughout the room, will easily sole the problem.

[blade417 @ Nov 30th 2007 4:53PM]

"or, more specifically, an image every ten seconds"

it only takes like 2 or 3 seconds to steal a bag of chips. that means the customers have like 7 seconds to spare.

[blade417 @ Nov 30th 2007 4:54PM]

they would really be in trouble if the clapper was installed.

[Andrew @ Nov 30th 2007 4:56PM]

Seems like a lot can happen in 10 seconds...

[Blink @ Nov 30th 2007 5:14PM]

The problem for the crook is that you don’t know when the 10 second loop starts. Security cameras need a lot of bandwidth and storage to stream anything useable. So they instead take stills every so many seconds.

[Wwhat @ Nov 30th 2007 5:15PM]

Like a mysterious large hole appearing in the pentagon you mean ;)

[aeo @ Nov 30th 2007 5:20PM]

Soooo... it's okay to put your WiFi gear next to High Voltage florescent light ballasts now?

[mschaffer @ Jan 25th 2008 12:22AM]

So, I guess they don't have "night vision" capability.

[marke @ Nov 30th 2007 6:10PM]

I'm thinking I would love this for a retrofit into the elevator (4 story) at my work... real simple installation.....

[Dan @ Nov 30th 2007 7:02PM]

Only a matter of time before they can run on thermal energy or sound.

[TVGenius @ Nov 30th 2007 8:30PM]

Wonder if they go so far as to remind you these won't work if there's a plastic difuser on your fixtures...

[Grey Acumen @ Nov 30th 2007 8:48PM]

does this mean that it has a plug that it has a connector that allows it to plug into the same space that the fluorescent bulb plugs into, or does it run off of solar power provided from the fluorescent light?

[Chris @ Nov 30th 2007 10:45PM]

I'm waiting for the zero-point energy powered version to come out. Finally I'll have what i'm looking for in a camera.

[RedBull Runner @ Nov 30th 2007 10:29PM]

Look at the picture, That ring around the light bulbis what is grabbing the energy, Im not sure, but it might have be using induction, though im not too sure about how fluorescent lights work.

[Grey Acumen @ Nov 30th 2007 10:33PM]

oh, wow, okay. I couldn't figure out how that was fitting there, I thought it was some weird box that stuck to the cover that goes over the light. I didn't realize it went around the light.

thanks for clearing that up.

[Steven Sartor @ Nov 30th 2007 10:17PM]

Great! Now we get an annoying buzz and spied on...

[BatteryAcid @ Dec 1st 2007 12:38AM]

Put the camera right under a light so the crook can easily spot it. Genious!

[Shane @ Dec 1st 2007 10:20AM]

Congratulations! You're the second genius to misspell genius!

[Shane @ Dec 1st 2007 1:23PM]

@ Rick:

Our light-powered cameras have detected a sense of humor failure in sector 7G. Clowns will be dispatched.

[Rick @ Dec 1st 2007 1:32PM]

Congratulations! You are the second jerk to point out someone misspelled a word!

[Rick @ Dec 1st 2007 1:15PM]

Too bad those pesky burglars use flashlights!!