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Using webcam to navigate — Parallax Forums

Using webcam to navigate

A.C. fishingA.C. fishing Posts: 262
edited 2006-05-05 11:02 in BASIC Stamp
Hi. I was wondering how I could build a bot that navigates with a web-cam. It would be simple if it just read pixels to follow a line. I was wondering if a BS2 could read information from a webcam, or maybe an SX. How does the average webcam work?
Thanks,
ACfishing

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Comments

  • A.C. fishingA.C. fishing Posts: 262
    edited 2006-05-03 22:51
    Does anyone know about this?

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  • KB3JJGKB3JJG Posts: 95
    edited 2006-05-04 13:40
    You cannot do this with just a bs2 and a conventional webcam. The bsII is unable to act as a USB master. The ideal·component this project is the cmu cam http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=30051
    You might be able to find an old serial webcam, but I don't think the stamp can do the image processing in any reasonable amount of time, if at all.
  • A.C. fishingA.C. fishing Posts: 262
    edited 2006-05-04 21:12
    What about a SX chip? What about a Propellor? I actually have a serial webcam. What about a BS2px?? Will that work on a BOE?? The rules I was given state that I have to use the type of webcam I have, so I can't use a CMU cam.

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  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2006-05-04 22:01
    The Propeller will not fit in a BOE board, but the BS2px will.
    Unfortunately, I doubt the BS2px has the capacity to process the data from a webcam, even a serial one.

    Maybe the Propeller can do the job, but you'll have to build your own tools for the task.

    Where did you get hold of a serial webcam?
    And do you have the datasheet on it?

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  • A.C. fishingA.C. fishing Posts: 262
    edited 2006-05-05 00:11
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8709638099&category=3759
    You can buy one here. It might not work, because it is a 25 port, but I plan on using an adapter.
    I don't have a datasheet. Would if work if I used a serial to USB adapter? Because I will to eventually move to a USB webcam, because this one isn't that great.
    Does anyone working for Parallax know if the propellor will work?

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  • A.C. fishingA.C. fishing Posts: 262
    edited 2006-05-05 10:35
    Gadget Man-
    I will probably wait for the Propellor developement board to come out.

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  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2006-05-05 11:02
    THAT THING AIN'T SERIAL!

    Read the Features section:
    25-pin standard parallel port connections (no parallel port pass-through)
    AT and PS/2 Keyboard power tap pass-through cable
    IEEE1284 level 2 compliant with Nibble and ECP support

    It's parallell-port, so there's no way you can use it with a serial port.
    It may be possible to 'bit bang' the camera if you dedicate a lot of pins to it, and learn how the Nibble or ECP port functions on a parallel-port works, and also get ahold of the communication protocol.
    (If the camera had been serial it might have been possible to 'sniff' it, but this is a bit more difficult)

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