Camera applications for the NXT
So, what sort of fun camera applications have readers seen developed using the NXT? A long time ago, there was an innovative student who tried to use the RCX with a sensor-equiped birdfeeder to try to photograph birds as they arrived (this was before "cheap" digital cameras... I shudder to think of the film and developing cost). But with the NXT it seems the field has exploded! I've seen the NXT used to automate time-exposures (including active precise panning), and Jim has some neat ideas and applications as well (the camera-carrying robot from his "Mayan Adventure" book, to name one example). Here's yet another that I recently noticed, an individual that has used the NXT to make a mount for professional panoramic photography (at a fraction of the cost of the normal "professional" rigs):
Ian Wood's Panoramic Robot
This is a really nice idea (all of them!) - I'm thinking about a programmable multi-position cam-bot (she was always so nice on MST3K) for stop-motion or time-lapse photography (think about it... cam-bot could wander the house at just a few meters per day during a vacation, perhaps, showing the play of light through the windows over the course of days, etc.)
So, any fun ideas out there? Other photographic applications you've seen and want to bring to the forefront?
--
Brian Davis
Ian Wood's Panoramic Robot
This is a really nice idea (all of them!) - I'm thinking about a programmable multi-position cam-bot (she was always so nice on MST3K) for stop-motion or time-lapse photography (think about it... cam-bot could wander the house at just a few meters per day during a vacation, perhaps, showing the play of light through the windows over the course of days, etc.)
So, any fun ideas out there? Other photographic applications you've seen and want to bring to the forefront?
--
Brian Davis
Comments
Chris
I made some simple .robo files to control my robot with a keyboard. I am currently using a wired camera at a recharging base and a led on the robot to guide the robot to dock at my station...not done yet but very promising.
I also have a wireless camera on my robot and have experimented with it. I can make it track leds, detect colors and detect motion (if the robot is still). The "camera sensor" is by far the most powerful of sensors, especially because it uses you computer for the real work not the nxt brick. Digging into the site has showed that they also have used the camera to detect walls.
If you go here:
http://www.roborealm.com/help/Lego_NXT.php
you will see the interface for the lego nxt.
By the way, I have sucessfully used roborealm to broadcast the video stream to my network. I have even watched video from my lego robot on my pda!
nicthegr