ShareCam part 1: interface, system architecture, and implementation of a collaboratively controlled robotic Webcam

Abstract

ShareCam is a robotic pan, tilt, and zoom wehbased camera controlled by simultaneous frame requests from online users. Part n describes algorithms. This paper, Part I, focuses on the system. Robotic webcameras are commercially available but currently restrict control to only one user at a time. Sharecam introduces a new interface that allows simultaneous control by many users. In this Java-based interface, participating users interact from their remotely located browsers where users draw desired frames over a fixed panoramic image. User inputs are transmitted back to a pair of PC servers that compute optimal camera parameters, servo the camera, and provide a video stream to all users. We describe the system, online experiments, and compare results with two frame selection models based on user "satisfaction," one memoryless and the second based on satisfaction over multiple motion cycles. ShareCam is available online at: www.tele-actor.netlsharecand

Automated Intruder Tracking using Particle Filtering and a Network of Binary Motion Sensors

“…There are other paradigms for camera control that have been researched other than autonomous systems. For instance in [14], [15], the problem of reconciling simultaneous requests on a single camera from multiple people. In this problem, requests for camera viewing locations are posed as rectangular regions over a panorama of the camera's range.…”

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“…In [31], we present another MOSR system that allow a group of users to simultaneously share control of a single robotic camera. We formulate MOSR problem as resource allocation problem and develop algorithms for camera control.…”

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“…Online robots, controllable over the Internet, are an active research area. In addition to the challenges associated with time delay, supervisory control, and stability, online robots must be designed to be operated by non-specialists through intuitive user interfaces and to be accessible 24 hours a day; see part I [17] for examples of recent projects.…”