The vast majority of cameras will start recording at the press of a button. This is perfectly acceptable behaviour if you wish to film something that hasn’t happened yet. If you want to film something that’s already over, you’re out of luck. [Johan Link] has built a camera designed to do just that, however, and put it on a cap.
The project consists of a Raspberry Pi 3B, combined with a 1080p USB webcam and a 5000 mAh power bank. These are attached to a baseball cap in order to shoot footage from the point of view of the wearer. The camera records continuously, saving the last 7 seconds of recorded video when the button is pressed — perfect for capturing things just after they’ve happened.
It’s a rolling record feature similar to that included with many dashcams and action cameras. Software is available on Github for those interested. While [Johan] has chosen a New York Yankees hat as the basis for the build, we’re confident it should work similarly well with your Seattle Seahawks cap. Raiders fans should contact the garment manufacturer.
Why not using a dashcam?
HaD might have edited it, but:
“It’s a rolling record feature similar to that included with many dashcams and action cameras.”
The invention is where it is mounted.
I actually have said many times I wish for this as a product, in hat or glasses form.
If you have a young child, by the time you have your cellphone camera ready, they’ve stopped doing whatever cute thing it was.
Not to put a damper on his idea, but I have something built with a similar concept in mind – the dash cam I have in my car.
If anyone is interested in a commercial product that does this, then they should check out the Looxcie. It had an option to save a 30 second buffer at the press of a button. It’s worn like a bluetooth headset over one ear with a camera facing forward.
Wikipedia informs me that they stopped producing and supporting them in 2014, so I have no idea if the inexpensive offerings on eBay are even usable.
This featured build, while more bulky, is infinitely more flexible. and not dependent on someone’s proprietary app to function.
I fear the last seven seconds this camera captures will always show the same scene…
People giving him strange looks ;)
Instead it should upload the video, all of it captured button press or not, to the internet.
I’ve just resurrected a 2015 Drift Stealth 2 “action camera” that has this function (which they call “Tagging”) built in – it records a continuous loop of selectable length, and if you want to keep it you push a button and it saves the interval you want plus the one before and the one after.
The same for audio only wold be useful, instead of capturing hours of random
Yes, you can buy off the shelf recorders that do this, and for some time, now. A second hand unit from 2005 could probably be had for free if you don’t mind interleaved 640 x 480. But that’s not what this site is about, is it? Jeri Ellsworth could have bought a Keytar, but she didn’t. She built one out of junk she had laying around(sorry C64 fans, Kaypro II master race rules!). Would we have less scoffing comments if the builder were a pretty red head? He wanted an always on camera that would be convenient to wear, and he built it, and he documented it. Does your Dash Cam connect to your phone to wirelessly transfer the video?
If you have the courage, or creativity to post your own little project here, please do so. If you are just a casual, drive by reader, then try to put some thought into your comment before you post it. Otherwise, go read Engadget or something.
I have to wonder how many interesting projects will never be seen here because the introverted creator couldn’t stand the thought of the casual, thoughtless criticisms he might have to bear. Your comments should be constructive and encouraging, not derisive or belittling.
He wanted something he didn’t have.
He built it.
He posted it.
Well done.
Full ACK.
black mirror, ‘the entire history of you’ AR contact lens aside, the idea of constantly recording your life and retroactively saving ‘important moments’ can ba both useful and also appeal to and promote existing anxieties.
I suggest a RPi4, so at the same time you have a head warmer
I see this being useful at my daughter’s soccer games.
So many times something occurs, and I would like an “instant replay”.
Injuries for instance, as well as fouls.
Oh, I could use my 8mm camcorder, or cell phone, but their weight alone would have me setting them down, and missing some action.
Recording the past? Piece of cake. Let me know when you get something that can record the future.
Wow, you invented the circular buffer. However 7 seconds is pretty useless. 30 seconds may be interesting, a hour would be more interesting, a day could be very interesting. If you had been where anything happened it would be interesting to be able to go back that far and see if you happened to catch anything interesting.
The person in question also appears to be 18, they solved a problem that they needed to be solved.
Let’s not be /quite/ so negative, eh?
You’ve never had kids, most cute things they do last less than 7 seconds, which is also the amount of time it takes to whip out a cellphone camera.
Maybe if a long press would do a 30 second clip and a short press the 7 seconds.
Why do a day long loop of video?
May as well just have a big sdcard that you just continuously record to, then purge when full.