Programmable camera

Ooooo that's an interesting one... if its just one speaker talking or one noise source you want topoint the camera to...

I suppose you could use the microphone signals from each side of the camera to detect the phase shift and move the camera to give zero phse shift, so you could have the camera following the noise source...

Interesting, but I don't know of anything on the market that does this.

John.

We first used this type of system for Pink Floyd and ZZ Top. It was an I.R. tracking system, used for the moving lights to track Gilmore and those Texas Boys, during the show.

There's a newer system employing microwaves and a carrier beam to transfer the signal without use of cables, as well as track the source with an itchy little servo system; maintaining signal integrity. It is, of course, line of sight; being microwave.

If you email me, I will put you in touch with the production group who leases this technology for Corporate productions. I will not post thier name on this site, directly.

mattymoto@nym.hush.com

Need a tech?

I would have thought infrared would be tricky if not impossible with all the lights around a stage???

John.

Just curious, but did the IR setup use MoCap techniques (cameras with IR ring lights + retro reflectors) like those used by animation studios? Or were the performers equipped with IR lights that were tracked by cameras? Stage lighting generates a lot of IR, so were the IR sources modulated?

This infrared spot can be tracing by trace aim system automatically. in the stage no lighting can produce such wave band infrared light spot, beside, such system ususally use in blue background scene in virtual studio. lots of cg company use it in animation produce. anothe good method is signal getting from the camera and go through pc to process automatically. means machine recognise. this tech is widly using in virtual studio as well.

You can try one of those CMUcam vision systems. Earlier version of this system used color description of environment to focus in on the object of interest. Dunno if technology has advanced since last time I used it.

www.cs.cmu.edu/~cmucam

I am not sure of the name of the product but I think bosch makes it for security cameras. They use a processor on the video feed to ascertain the moving objects and keep them in focus.

In the industrial control and automation field, there are a number of manufacturers who work with what are called "vision systems". They are designed to use a PC-type unit with a video feed to identify the item, it's location, etc. I am sure that an inquiry or search in this area would net hardware and software designed for tracking the desired programmed object.

Best wishes--JMM

The bands who were using the I.R. technology, (keep in mind this was ten years ago), were the largest production corporations in the world, not some run of the mill bar bands,. Yes they wore tracking devices and there was a virtual world computer program tracking the "box". No, the lights or multi-color lazers had zero effect. Yes, the I.R. systems were very expensive and quite sensitive. They worked flawlessly.

Might be they had the wallet to explore technology you probably have not ever seen?

The Microwave system does not require a computer or a blue screen. It uses a tracking dual band signal scanner and a micro bi-directional transmitter with secondary a carrier band for the audio. There are pixel recognition softwares available which will track a selected pixel, no matter where it goes, line of sight provided. The micorwave will track the strenght of the signal, if you can afford the transmitter designed to do so. You'll also require an FCC license, or you'll go to jail in the U.S.; for operating an illegal broadcast transmission.

Audi tracking systems for known tracking movement have been made possible through the use of magnetic sensors in the stage or the ground, (permanant), where the devices traveling are tracked as they trip sensors and the sliding faders will automatically transition between zones. These zones may also include camera movement actuation and then the pixel tracking will follow the transition, once again or a pre-programmed movement. It's quite doable, if you have enough money for the technology. Unfortunately it is very expensive to power devices which are protected from EMF, at this level of functionality.

You probably haven't seen this technology, unless you work for a broadcast or major production corporation.

Again, if you require a consultant to provide a system for your specific use, please email me for information. I am personally aquainted with the people who can provide what you are looking for.