is this even possible???

[not techie at all]

Please forgive my lack of knowledge, but.....
I am in need of a somewhat simple (for people with the skills) I think, design. But I do not have any idea of items I would need..
I am hoping that if I describe what I need, someone will let me know 1) if this is possible and 2) what electronics or design I would need.

I run track and I would like to come up with a turntable that I could set my video camera on, that would follow or "track" me automatically from a transmitter that I am wearing.
I run on an oval, I would only need about 200 feet or so for signal (more if possible but not necessary). This would allow me to review my performances without having someone there to hold the camera.

Are these components already out there and just need to be purchased or is this somethin that has to be designed specifically for my type of application?
Any input would be greatly appreciated.

PS - the platform/turntable that would hold the camera would be about 6 or 8 inches and hold maybe a pound or so...

Thanks
Stefanie

 

[ronsimpson]

I see this is two projects.
The hardware. Turntable.
The software. Method of tracking an object.

 

[not techie at all]

I am not sure that there would be "software" required.. this is simply a tracking receiver/transmitter. I could be very wrong though, that is why I came here

 

[ronsimpson]

There is a way of finding a "person" in a picture. There are two switches that drive the motor. If the person is centered no switches are closed. If the person is not centered then one switch closes to drive the motor left or right to keep the object centered.

Finding a person is hard. If you wore a red light that flashed that could be easy found within a video picture.

At this point I can not think of a way to make the transmitter/receiver thing. The camera makes a great receiver.

 

[not techie at all]

what about motion tracking? like the web cams and surveilance cameras that tilt, pan and zoom by motion - but in this case rather than tilting and panning a camera, it just rotates a platform to follow the motion??? is that possible or easier?

I just dont want to have to involve a camera and the downloads or uploads etc.. I can use a simple flip camera to take the video, I just need the tracking so to speak.

 

[not techie at all]

OK - this is sort of what I was thinking of (minus the little helicopter)..
https://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/en/FollowMe

could this be modified to work for short distances and without flight?

 

[shimniok]

I have no idea if anything like this exists off the shelf. But... something like a CMUcam, which tracks color blobs, could be used provided you wear some particular color of clothing/armband that no one else wears and isn't in the background. Then a micro controller could control the "turntable" speed to keep the color blob centered in the frame. Of course without any programming or electronics skills whatsoever... that will make the project somewhat challenging. Locating on a radio transmission strikes me as a much harder way to do this, but what do I know?

 

[cr0sh]

Here's an idea:

Wear an RF transmitter that transmits to a receiver hooked up to a microcontroller. This transmitter would be connected to send out pulses from sensors on your feet (perhaps a variation on a piezo knock-sensor would work?). The length of the time between feet strides should correlate to your stride and speed, of course. These pulses (and perhaps which foot caused them) would be sent to the microcontroller hooked up to a motor controlling the pan mechanism of the camera. The microcontroller there would use that info to adjust how far to move the camera "forward" (since I doubt you'll be running backward, or in opposite directions, right?). All you'd have to do then is aim the camera at your starting location, then start running, and the pan mechanism hooked to the camera should keep you fairly well in-frame...

 

[carrotSnack]

OK - this is sort of what I was thinking of (minus the little helicopter)..
https://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/en/FollowMe

could this be modified to work for short distances and without flight?

It could be, it uses a GPS.
You'd need to be able to power the GPS module on your body and transmit it to the turntable system that would need a micro-controller/laptop with software that will control the turntable. This is obviously going to be quite expensive however compared to the other options, ~$300.

 

[musicalsaurabh]

yup This type of camera is available in market but in partial manner,because it works on Infrared rays transmission & recieving system,according to this system camera lens automatically adjust as our eye lens.If we include there a mechatronics system then it can be compeletly possible.

 

[not techie at all]

After much searching I found the solution. and only $250.. not bad - now I just have to find out who carries it.

In The Picture Is the first automatic cameraman for camcorders. Just mount it between any camcorder and your tripod. Clip its small transmitter on your belt. In The Picture will rotate the camcorder to follow the action and let everyone get in on the fun. Now people everywhere won't be stuck behind a viewfinder, Holidays vacations and birthdays can be remembered with the whole family in the picture. And videotaping with In The Picture is so convenient, you'll capture more of the good times and get in on the fun while you're doing it. Just think, You can videotape an entire party while you mingle with guests. Capture an afternoon cookout while you enjoy yourself. Or just spend more time playing with the kids instead of the camcorder.

For the sports enthusiast, In The Picture is an invaluable instructional tool. It's like having your own private coach to show you how you're really doing. It lets you easily videotape your golf swing, tennis game, or basketball moves. Then you can check your form to see where you need improvement. In The Picture is also ideal for public speaking, for videotaping seminars, performances and creating educational videos. All without the hassle or expense of a cameraman. One thing you can be sure of is that In The Picture will change the way you think about your camcorder. You'll find new uses that were never before possible. And once you start using In The Picture, you might just end up wondering how you ever did without it.

**broken link removed**

 

[not techie at all]

at 35 feet it is not a terrific range but it will help with form and technique and problem solving. with any luck the distance range can or has been improved.
It will not change focus but panning is the most important factor at this point.

 

[cr0sh]

Looks like some kind of ultrasonic tracker system; if so, the range could only be extended with some rather severe modifications (and who knows how well it would deal with those modifications - which would include amplification - in regards to echos and other issues associated with ultrasonics; its software/hardware might be tuned for the maximum distance it already has). Still, it does look like an interesting solution...

I found this:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/490975-REG/TecNec_ITP_1_ITP_1_In_The_Picture.html

I guess it is called the "TecNec ITP 1" - I am not even sure it is manufactured any longer, but you can google search on "TecNec ITP 1" to find out (nothing on the first page of results, though); I did find a review of it (for all its worth - not much) that said it wasn't very reliable beyond 10 feet...

 

[Triode]

I would try putting an IR led on the runner, then using a set of IR sensors set up like sun tracking light sensors. That is, mounted with vertical blinders to give them tunnel vision and angled so one detects center and two detect the limits. Set pan speed, if IR goes out of view of center sensor and into rear sensor view, slow down pan, if it goes into the front sensor speed up pan. To reduce IR interference a blinking pattern could be used on the LED side and filtered for on the scanner side.