transfering camera to the display

Other Hardware Displays
1

I'm totally new to arduino, I read couple programming article and programming language is pretty easy for someone with 10+ years experience on programming. That's why I choose arduino.

Since I'm totally newbie with arduino I dont know it's capabilities. I want to create a rear view camera system and I found required parts (camera and a nice display) My question; is it possible to draw horizontal distance lines over the video on the display? Basically I'm trying to add a layer on the video feed. something like this:

Drawing distance lines will be proof of concept, as next step I want to add obstacle radar on the view (drawing a bright red square on the kid's bicycle maybe)

Thanks for the all answers

rearview_camera.jpg

2

tuncayd:
I'm totally new to arduino, I read couple programming article and programming language is pretty easy for someone with 10+ years experience on programming. That's why I choose arduino.

Since I'm totally newbie with arduino I dont know it's capabilities. I want to create a rear view camera system and I found required parts (camera and a nice display) My question; is it possible to draw horizontal distance lines over the video on the display? Basically I'm trying to add a layer on the video feed.

Drawing distance lines will be proof of concept, as next step I want to add obstacle radar on the view (drawing a bright red square on the kid's bicycle maybe)

Thanks for the all answers

Note, I am perhaps a little more advanced than you, but not by much (i.e., I've been programming for 30+ years, but I just got an Arduino and I'm doing the usual blinky light/servo intro projects). However, I have somewhat of the same interest as you. I'm doing live view from digital SLR to a small hand held LCD screen (mp4 player that takes video input with 320x240 resolution), and I would like to have the status and control screen from the Arduino when I build the project to either be overlaid or replace the video image from the camera.

First of all, the Arduino is fairly limited in its memory (2-8k for read/write memory for variables/stack, 32-256k for read-only flash memory for the program). In general, you won't be able to process the image on the Arduino. It just doesn't have the memory, and likely is also too slow to process an image. If you need to process the image on the microprocessor, it might be better to look at a beefier processor.

I did find the Video Experimenter shield that looks like it can do the job (Video Experimenter - nootropic design). I've had some contact with the designer of the shield, and the output of the Arduino is 128x96. I'm hoping that it will work with other analog outputs at different resolutions (such as my camera at 320x240). I plan on buying this at some point, but so far I haven't bought it. Evidently, the Video Experiementer Shield was based on an earlier eye shield (http://homepage.mac.com/dave_chatting/arduinoeyeshield/).

There is also a Video Game Shield by Wayne and Layne (http://www.wayneandlayne.com/projects/video-game-shield/).

Note, these need recent Arduinos, and that the Mega has some problems and won't run out of the box.

3

Have you considered using a beagle-board or a raspberryPi?

4

fkeel:
Have you considered using a beagle-board or a raspberryPi?

Yes, I've been on the raspberry-pi waiting list since shortly after it was announced in February. I paid for mine 1-2 weeks ago, but I don't know when it will ship. However, I suspect it will take some time before the embedded programming infrastructure is as complete as it is on the Arduino side of things, so I may hedge my bets by also getting the Video Experimenter Shield.

5

if you have payed, you should receive it soon. they still have not even let me pay yet :frowning:

the thing is that arduinos just aren't powerful enough for most video applications. With the Pi or BeagleBoard you can just connect a USB webcam.

But you are right - there simply is not the ecosystem surrounding the pi yet, which you have with arduino. ... but people are working on that :smiley:

6

I checked the Video Experimenter Shield, it does exactly what I need. Thanks for the advice.

7

tuncayd:
I checked the Video Experimenter Shield, it does exactly what I need. Thanks for the advice.

You are welcome. Let us know how well it works. If you order directly from nootropicdesign, they have a version that comes pre-soldered if you are not comfortable soldering boards (I need to learn how to solder). I first noticed it robotshop, which only sells the kit form.

8

The trick is you don't process all video map 320x240, that obviously above arduino capability, but small area quite easy to overlap on display, there is a link based on AtMega8:

and SFE SparkFun On Screen Display Breakout - MAX7456 - BOB-09168 - SparkFun Electronics

9

So I'm at most important point, buying the things.

I'll go with Arduino Uno R3(Video Experimenter doesnt work with Mega) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006H06TVG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=A30ZYR2W3VAJ0A]

Also I'll buy Video Experimenter Shield and soldering not a problem, I've a wife who loves soldering :slight_smile: Thanks for tip

Since I'm newborn which display do you recommend to me?

Thanks for the all great responses..

10

mtD:
Since I'm newborn which display do you recommend to me?

Given you are doing a car based display (which has access to 12v power), the display I used may not be relevant. I'm involved in a thing called steampunk as a hobby, and my main thing is disguising my DSLR as an old fashioned bellows camera. In addition to the camera box, I have various puppet mascots adorn the camera. One of the mascots is a squirrel that is a painter. I sometimes feed the live view from the DSLR to a small MP4 player (JXD 696), and put it on the squirrel's easel, to make it look like she is painting the scene (at the event this last weekend, I didn't have the right cables).

For me, the main attributes were the screen should match what my camera puts out in live view mode (320x240), it should be relatively small (2.4" or so), and that it take standard batteries (it takes Nokia 5C batteries, and also I can power it from a USB 5v power circuit). Unfortunately, it seems to have disappeared. The closest one still on the market is the JXD 661, which no longer takes standard batteries: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-5-2GB-MP3-MP4-MP5-AV-in-out-Camera-Video-Player-661-/390151021935?pt=Other_MP3_Players&hash=item5ad6d0256f.

For 12v, I've noticed this entry from a Hong Kong vendor: http://www.ebay.com/itm/110863993303?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649, and this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/310383783529?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649. I have not used these units, but the size and the display size caused me to add them to my ebay watch list, in case I decided to replace my JXD 696. They are fairly cheap. I suspect finding video displays for remote backup cameras is a lot easier now, and if you are willing to pay more, you might be able to find it locally, so that you can see what it looks like before buying. Amazon lists them starting at $32.

11

@Mr.Meissner: Any chance you can link to a picture of your setup?

12

fkeel:
@Mr.Meissner: Any chance you can link to a picture of your setup?

I posted some of the pictures and links to my various albums over in my query about QVGA displays: QVGA question - #8 by MichaelMeissner - Displays - Arduino Forum