Head Tracking using a Laptop/Netbook. Webcam Tracking
Webcam Tracking
Thursday 28th October 2010
Interactivity and it’s possible application in the Self Portrait project – Webcam Tracking
I thought it would be a good idea to research the internet for possible solutions for the Tracking of Head movements using something most people have, that is the Webcam.
I identified a number of Free or Shareware programs that processed the image from a Webcam from forums where other people were also seeking a similar solution.
The programs I found were:-
1. Fake Webcam
All three applications working in very similar ways the main differences were in how they responded to the image from the Webcam and what action they took or could be set by the user.
Willing WebCam - Screenshot
The most suitable for my requirement would be Willing WebCam which has extensive settings including the ability to play a sound or load a program when either the head or indeed any movement was detected.
However on further investigation and after a great deal of experimentation I came to the conclusion that the standard Webcam is just not accurate enough or could become unsettled just by a changing light levels and therefore in turn creating too many false tracking movements.
The only conclusion I could come to was that a specialist Tracking camera would be required for accuracy and reliable responses to movements. The camera would also ideally have to work outside of the visible spectrum possibly infra-red in order to be able to distinguish the subject from the background. Alternatively the camera would have to be directed at a fixed well lighted background for example a white screen.
In regard to the original idea development and because of time constraints I have decided to go with the original idea of producing a film, a portrait of myself and things and activities which interest me, combining still photographs with video content. This would follow a timeline, a chronology of my life from my earliest days for which I have some photographs to the current date.
Netbook Details
I used a Netbook for the project, the Acer Aspire One 533 with the Atom N455 processor. Running Windows 7 Starter. This comes with 1GB memory but this can be expanded to 2GB. But most importantly this setup works with all the applications I tested and Processing recognises it’s built-in webcam without having to source additional drivers etc.
Processing
Webcam Tracking - Processing & Jmyron Screenshot
Having being recently introduced to Processing during a Lecture I searched online for more examples of programs using the Webcam to control video or track movement. I sourced a number of programs one group called “JMyron” and one of these programs tracked head/hand movement and converted it into mouse inputs. I could see several possibilities for controlling video or adding effects to a video.
There were restrictions on how this could be utilised the most restricting was that the tracking of movement would only work at its best against a white background and it’s response in open areas unpredictable. In fact it only seemed to work best in the dark. However as I had now decided on the design I was going to produce for my Self Portrait I decided to save this for a future projects and further research.
Sorry about the quality of the video, I used a handheld mobile phone to record the screen output.
[youtube.com/watch?v=jmoXL95KImc]
Project Update
Microsoft Kinect
Kinect Specification
Sensor
Colour and depth-sensing lenses
Voice microphone array (made up of 4 microphones)
Tilt motor for sensor adjustmentField of View
Horizontal field of view: 57 degrees
Vertical field of view: 43 degrees
Physical tilt range: ± 27 degrees
Depth sensor range: 1.2m – 3.5mData Streams
320×240 16-bit depth @ 30 frames/sec
640×480 32-bit colour@ 30 frames/sec
16-bit audio @ 16 kHzSkeletal Tracking System
Tracks up to 6 people, including 2 active players
Tracks 20 joints per active player
Ability to map active players to LIVE Avatars