Motion sensing/tracking security camera project

[cool-agent]

I am in a group of three lads in work and we have been assigned a project. We have to design, program and build a security camera that detects motion in a small courtyard(approx 7m x 7m) and then automatically tracks that person. We have to include a microprocessor, therefore that means computer programming as well. Any ideas/designs would be very much appreciated.

 

[pike]

I Don't know how you are gonna track the person. This would require something like an infra-red camera or yeah...

I would try those automatic floodlights that turn on a light when something moves in your backyard. You might be able to use multiple flood light sensors to sense which direction the person or thing is moving.

Why do you want to do this ???

 

[Russlk]

Since the person is visable in the camera, it is possible to analyze the video and pan the camera to keep the person centered. Another possibility is to track the body heat using a parabolic reflector and sensor array.

 

[tansis]

An ultrasonic rangefinder sweeping from side to side will work up to a distance of about thirty feet, depending on target size/aspect ratio.
That's as far as I got when I tried this idea myself, true it can be done with software but writing it is beyond me at the moment. Another solution would be to use something like a pair of of PIR sensors with rotating scanning mirrors a sort of diy infra red imager.

 

[leo_pardo]

Hi,
I see your post is a little bit old

About your project (btw sorry for my english)... now, with my friend, I'm trying to do something like you We r using "motion" program (available open source code of great program to detect motion)... we gonna use step motors to control little camera which will track motion and will rotate with motion of target

If you have something post it here...

A... we will control this motors with LPT port

 

[Jerran]

I never built the project but this might be of help. Chapter 14 of the book "Pic Robotics" uses a CMU camera (Carnegie Mellon University) for edge detection and image recognition. Try a search on CMU camera and see what you can find.