Hi, I have some usecases where I would need a lot of cheap webcams. One application is 3D scanning. The project 3DScan uses 100 Raspberry Pi cams: http://www.pi3dscan.com/ Here you find the costs of the hardware: http://www.pi3dscan.com/index.php/cost So I am thinking how we could make this cheaper. *MIP CSI2* The raspberry PI cams and all the cams used in mobile phones don’t use an USB interface. They use CSI-2 (*Camera* Serial Interface Type 2) with a 15 pin ZIF 15 socket. A widely adopted, simple, high-speed protocol primarily intended for point-to-point image and video transmission between cameras and host devices https://www.mipi.org/specifications/csi-2 *USB Webcams?* An alternative to the would be to use USB-Webcams and don’t have 100 hundred decentralized CPUs (Raspberries). The challenge is you need a multi-port USB interface like this: https://plugable.com/products/usb3c-hub97xxx/ One problem with this approach is that there are no multi-port solutions available. Due to high demand the above product is unfortunately sold out indefinitely. I assume that there would be also a bandwidth-problem on the PC side. *Use Raspberry PI Zero?* Using a Raspberry PI Zero would save some money: *https://www.pi3dscan.com/index.php/blog2/45-raspberry-pi-zero-v2 <https://www.pi3dscan.com/index.php/blog2/45-raspberry-pi-zero-v2>* https://electronics.semaf.at/Raspberry-Pi-Zero-W-Camera-Kit *Use an ESP32-PICO? *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8Jq0G17WgQ Maybe it would not work with a cam which has more than 2 MPixels resolution. *Summary* For me the best would be to have a module where the cam-module already sits on the PCB. This would save connectors, cables (15pin!) and adaptors. Also I would prefer to have a waterproof case for outdoor usage. *Any Ideas???*
On Sun, Mar 03, 2019 at 06:11:38PM +0100, leopold zyka wrote:
Hi,
Hey Leopold,
I have some usecases where I would need a lot of cheap webcams.
What resolution and what framerate are we talking about?
One application is 3D scanning. The project 3DScan uses 100 Raspberry Pi cams: http://www.pi3dscan.com/ Here you find the costs of the hardware: http://www.pi3dscan.com/index.php/cost
So I am thinking how we could make this cheaper.
Really depends on the number of cameras as well as the resultion, framerate and total bandwidth you have in mind.
*MIP CSI2* The raspberry PI cams and all the cams used in mobile phones don’t use an USB interface. They use CSI-2 (*Camera* Serial Interface Type 2) with a 15 pin ZIF 15 socket.
A widely adopted, simple, high-speed protocol primarily intended for point-to-point image and video transmission between cameras and host devices
Yeah, unfortunately it is also proprietary and somewhat problematic to handle, but definitely doable.
*USB Webcams?* An alternative to the would be to use USB-Webcams and don’t have 100 hundred decentralized CPUs (Raspberries).
The challenge is you need a multi-port USB interface like this: https://plugable.com/products/usb3c-hub97xxx/
One problem with this approach is that there are no multi-port solutions available.
You can actually stack USB hubs to quite some depth (7 hubs deep device tree) and quite a number of devices per USB port (127 or 255) so you can use a tree of powered (this is important) USB hubs or some of the more expensive 16/28/54 port hubs. https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Charging-Individual-Switches-Windows/dp/B07FS... https://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Port-USB-Hub-161718/dp/B0074024XU Note that you are still limited to the total of 5 Gbps for each USB 3.0 port, so your bandwidth for 16 devices will be below USB 2.0 (~300 Mbps) and even less for more
Due to high demand the above product is unfortunately sold out indefinitely.
I assume that there would be also a bandwidth-problem on the PC side.
Yep, see above, you can probably get about 40 USB 2.0 devices at full speed on four USB 3.0 ports.
*Use Raspberry PI Zero?* Using a Raspberry PI Zero would save some money: *https://www.pi3dscan.com/index.php/blog2/45-raspberry-pi-zero-v2 <https://www.pi3dscan.com/index.php/blog2/45-raspberry-pi-zero-v2>*
*Use an ESP32-PICO? *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8Jq0G17WgQ
Maybe it would not work with a cam which has more than 2 MPixels resolution.
This would mainly be limited by the Wifi/BT interface which will not allow you to run more than a few of those at the same place.
*Summary* For me the best would be to have a module where the cam-module already sits on the PCB.
This would save connectors, cables (15pin!) and adaptors. Also I would prefer to have a waterproof case for outdoor usage.
*Any Ideas???*
Let's first specify the resolution, frame rate and total bandwidth required for your applications, then we can talk interfaces and sensor/camera solutions. Best, Herbert
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On 3/3/19 6:11 PM, leopold zyka wrote:
Hi, I have some usecases where I would need a lot of cheap webcams.
One application is 3D scanning. The project3DScan uses 100 Raspberry Pi cams:
*Any Ideas???*
Das Objekt drehen statt 100 Kameras? Geht halt nicht mit bewegten Dingen Wie Menschen oder springenden Tigern.
On Mon, Mar 04, 2019 at 04:42:41PM +0100, Bernhard Kuemel wrote:
On 3/3/19 6:11 PM, leopold zyka wrote:
Hi,
I have some usecases where I would need a lot of cheap webcams.
One application is 3D scanning. The project3DScan uses 100 Raspberry Pi cams:
*Any Ideas???*
Das Objekt drehen statt 100 Kameras? Geht halt nicht mit bewegten Dingen Wie Menschen oder springenden Tigern.
Man kann auch die Kamera(s) um das Objekt drehen, dann wird dem Menschen und dem springenden Tigern nicht so leicht uebel. Best, Herbert
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Teilnehmer (3)
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Bernhard Kuemel -
Herbert Poetzl -
leopold zyka