RobotCamera
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NHK developing hybrid renewable energy-powered video camera for use in disaster areas
You can always count on Japan's NHK to come up with new, exciting and innovative ways to bring us video coverage. The latest project? A wind- and solar-powered robot camera designed for situations such as natural disasters. Loaded with a 1,200 Ah battery, even if the elements don't bless it with sun and air, it can keep filming for two to three days. The combination of wind turbine and solar panels obviously allow it to generate more power than either method on its own, with the turbine reportedly generating 1 kW at 11 m/s wind speeds. A special power-saving mode prevent it draining too fast when full functionality -- such as the built-in wireless, cellular and satellite broadcasting systems aren't needed. Currently the prototype is installed on a rooftop while battery and power-generation are fully tested, but it's hoped that this could lead to further developments for disaster area broadcast equipment. Or -- here's hoping -- power-cut-proof sports coverage.
BeetleCam's back with armor on board, and it brought a friend packing a Canon EOS 1Ds MK III
Having braved the wilds of Tanzania and emerged with some brilliant photos, but a camera destroyed by a lion, the remote control BeetleCam is back at it. This time around, the buggy's got a Canon 550D, is sporting an armored shroud and it brought a buddy with some serious imaging chops to help it get up close and personal with a pride of lions in Kenya's Masai Mara. The new BeetleCam, dubbed the Mark II, has six wheels, two flashes, a Canon EOS 1Ds MK III for stunning stills and GoPro camera capable of streaming HD video. How did round two in Africa turn out? Pretty darn well, but as they say, the proof is in the pudding, so check out the amazing shots taken by the twin BeetleCams at the source below.
Speedy robo-cam mimics the movements of the human eye, exceeds them
Some researchers at the Technical University of Munich have built an unassuming but no-less-remarkable mechanism for tilting and panning a small camera robotically. Designed to keep up with the eye movements of a human in gaze-tracking studies, the camera mount features three degrees of movement, and can flick around at a rapid 2500 degrees per second -- our flesh-composed eyeballs max out at a mere 1000. The setup uses ultrasonic piezo-actuators, which move prismatic joints, which drive spherically-jointed rods attached to the camera, keeping the weight under 100 grams and still acting gently enough to avoid rattling on top of the wearer's head. We'll take two.
BeetleCam wildlife photography secures stellar snaps in the wilds of Tanzania
We won't even front -- we've got a thing for visiting National Parks, and in a way, we're dangerously envious of these fellows who crafted this here BeetleCam. In short, the device is a wildlife photography robot: a four-wheeled, remote control buggy that holds a DSLR, a couple of flashes and enough torque and battery life to power through African wilds for hours on end. After months of testing, building, rebuilding and rebuilding again, the BeetleCam was packaged up and carried over to Tanzania's Ruaha and Katavi National Parks. During the fortnight-long excursion, the buggy managed to survive being mauled by a lion (sadly the same can't be said for the Canon EOS 400D) and get staggeringly close to elephants, African Buffaloes and other untamed fauna. Frankly, this is one of the more amazing homegrown gadgets we've seen in quite some time, and we couldn't encourage you more to hit up that source link for the full spill.
GigaPan Epic Pro robotic camera mount shipping in April
We found GigaPan's Epic 100 robotic camera mount to be an impressive if not entirely practical solution when we got our hands on it back in May of last year, but it's unfortunately of little use with a full-size DSLR. GigaPan is set to fill that gap with its new Epic Pro model, which it's just announced will be available in April. This model will accommodate DSLR and lens combinations up to ten pounds, and give you a 7.2V, 4300mAH rechargeable battery (as opposed to the AAs used in the smaller models), along with a few new features like a multiple triggering option to take multiple shots at each image position. Of course, the Pro model also comes with a pro-minded price -- $895, to be specific.
