Kabaal Timelapse

NURDspace Project
Participants	Bjornl
Skills
Status
Niche
Purpose
Tool
Location
Cost
Tool category

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Target: Create a time lapse video of Kabaal am Gemaal/Kabaal Digitaal using a self-supporting Android-based device Main target: time lapse, device is on a pole for 4 days autonomously Secondary targets:

• partially powered (4&5 May)
• (when powered) provide real time imagery on the internets

Because the event is spread over several days, and power will probably not be available at all times, we need an independent, weather-proof, economical device that can take pictures with a configurable interval. The device will be positioned in a flat opposite the area of Kabaal.

• coding of an Android device to take a picture every x seconds while consuming as little power as possible (disable network, screen, ...)
• creating a large battery pack to power the device for several days
• building a weather- and theft-/vandalism-proof encasing
• finding a way to position the device, probably in the top of a lamppost
• image post processing

Progress

• basic software works
• uploading works, and a basic server is in place
• displays number of images, battery status
• preferences for uploading images added
• server side implemented; follow it live (from the evening of May 2nd) at http://space.nurdspace.nl/kabaallive.php

Todo

• advanced power management (if possible, disable screen) and preferences
• hardware (power)
• casing
• organisational: where to mount, inform municipality
• actual mounting (in the flat)

Notulen 5-1

bjornl is aan het coden buZz is aan het nadenken over de power. ws iets van externe laptopcellen aansluiten. behuizing moet hufterproof worden. Het ophangen moet ws zonder hoogwerker (die is er nog niet in het begin). Ws kunnen we woudlopers regelen die in de paal klimmen \o/. Eventueel kan er na een tijd een kabel worden aangesloten. Voordeel is dat je dan real time feeds het internet op kan donderen. Een kaartje met mobiel internet erin lijkt haalbaarder dan line of sight naar een wlan. Tenzij we de boel ergens neer kunnen zitten. 5mei organisatie regelt ws zelf internet toegang.

Update 1-2

• code is practically finished but needs tweaking
• location is probably an issue, as the camera has not such a terrible angle .. we might need to visit people living nearby to ask if we could place it in their window
• power is in first beta testing; http://www.flickr.com/photos/complete_bastiaan/6803684573/
• housing still has to start
• connectivity at the event will probably be cut, as funding has been lowered
• mounting on a light pole or in a tree may only be done in an ARBO-compliant manner; maybe by firemen or otherwise when we have the mobile lift

Update 11-5

The device (Asus EEE Transformer) ran from the evening of May 2nd (wednesday) until the morning of May 5th, collecting around 21000 images. Some images were turned black and the device stopped working completely at 7:53 on May 5th. We're still investigating the problems; possible causes:

• disconnected from internet, although this should not affect the program;
• too many files in a single folder; although no official limit was reached, a directory listing on 21000 files turns out to be very slow, so maybe the file saving threads piled up and crashed the program.

Blackbird cam

A blackbird built its nest on my balcony, so I put up the originally intended camera with slightly altered software to act as a webcam. See http://space.nurdspace.nl/merellive.php

Code

Android code is checked in on the NURDserver subversion repository as NURDlapse.

Future use

• Mount the device on a kite!
• Mount the device somewhere hidden in a public area