blogtest http://www.paranormal-entertainment.com/idr/blog/posts/2010-02-12T06:23:22Z-Presentation_Camera_Hack/ blogtest ikiwiki 2010-02-15T20:12:39Z http://www.paranormal-entertainment.com/idr/blog/posts/2010-02-12T06:23:22Z-Presentation_Camera_Hack/comment_1/ Anonymous 2010-02-12T07:03:33Z 2010-02-12T07:03:32Z How about ditching this "Presenation Camera" concept and going for something more reasonable like an http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overhead_projector ? http://www.paranormal-entertainment.com/idr/blog/posts/2010-02-12T06:23:22Z-Presentation_Camera_Hack/comment_2/ IanRomanick 2010-02-12T07:44:01Z 2010-02-12T07:44:00Z <p>Even though I suspect you're being snarky, that's not a bad suggestion. There are a couple of practical problems with an overhead projector. I can't really multiplex one screen with an overhead projector and a laptop projector. I also don't think I'd be able to get overhead in the right position to project on the screen. Finally, overheads are much to big to stuff in my backpack. <img src="http://www.paranormal-entertainment.com/idr/blog/posts/2010-02-12T06:23:22Z-Presentation_Camera_Hack/../../smileys/smile.png" alt=":)" /></p> <p>Plus, I have some software ideas that I would not be able to do with an overhead.</p> http://www.paranormal-entertainment.com/idr/blog/posts/2010-02-12T06:23:22Z-Presentation_Camera_Hack/comment_3/ Anonymous 2010-02-12T19:11:57Z 2010-02-12T09:41:49Z <p>Sorry, I realize that my previous comment really sounds sarcastic. I had never seen a "presentation camera" and was really stunned at seeing that a simple, well established device that even an elder person can operate such as the overhead projector could be replaced by an unnecessarily complex electronic device...</p> <p>Overhead projectors do require a separate projection screen, so that multiplexing with the laptop projector can be avoided. If the lecture room does not support this, then I realize that everything you want to project must go through the laptop projector, and probably this presentation camera is the only option... But I would find it more sensible to upgrade the lecture room with an overhead projector and an additional screen!</p> http://www.paranormal-entertainment.com/idr/blog/posts/2010-02-12T06:23:22Z-Presentation_Camera_Hack/comment_4/ IanRomanick 2010-02-12T19:17:44Z 2010-02-12T19:17:33Z <p>Fair enough. Remember the initial problem: not enough white-board space. If I could get an additional screen, I could have probably also gotten another white-board! <img src="http://www.paranormal-entertainment.com/idr/blog/posts/2010-02-12T06:23:22Z-Presentation_Camera_Hack/../../smileys/smile.png" alt=":)" /> This is a small school, and the programming classes are in computer labs (as opposed to traditional lecture halls). Unfortunately, there isn't a place for another white-board or another screen.</p> <p>That said, your mention of using an overhead project has caused me to rethink my camera mount design. In one of the next versions I think I might try a configuration more similar to a traditional overhead.</p> http://www.paranormal-entertainment.com/idr/blog/posts/2010-02-12T06:23:22Z-Presentation_Camera_Hack/comment_5/ Kayden 2010-02-15T20:08:01Z 2010-02-14T00:29:57Z <p>This is awesome, Ian. A light and a webcam! Great idea.</p> <p>At first I thought you were going to do <a href="http://johnnylee.net/projects/wii/">Wiimote whiteboarding</a>, but this seems a lot simpler.</p> http://www.paranormal-entertainment.com/idr/blog/posts/2010-02-12T06:23:22Z-Presentation_Camera_Hack/comment_6/ IanRomanick 2010-02-15T20:12:39Z 2010-02-15T20:12:27Z Those are some clever Wii remote hacks. I used to use a Wii remote as the presentation remote for the class. I set "up" and "down" on the remote to be page up and page down. I quit using it because it had a bad habit of losing the Bluetooth connection whenever I got more than about five feet away from the laptop. I'm not sure whether it was the laptop's Bluetooth hardware, Linux's Bluetooth stack, or the Wii remote software that I was using at the time. <em>shrug</em>