[chbot] 'optical flow sensor'

[Robin Gilks]

> Hi all,
>
> Just spotted this on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/321472040191
>
> Was just about to click past but spotted that one of the PCBs has a
> package with a familiar hole pattern.
>
> Looks quite a bit like the optical sensor from a mouse, with a lens
> assembly attached.
>
> Not entirely sure of application but attach a telephoto lens and
> bingo, a device for tracking things at a distance (?)
>
> Add an orthogonally placed unit and follow an object in three dimensions.
>
> need to think about this a bit more...
>

I think I prefer the Pixy cam5
   http://charmedlabs.com/default/?page_id=211
onto which I would put a "Naked" Panoramic Dot optic
   http://shop.kogeto.com/
with a lens like this to get a sensible field of view
   http://www.m12lenses.com/16mm-F2-0-Board-Lens-p/pt-1620.htm
360 degree view, track multiple objects :) I might skip the panoramic lens
(not sure how easy it would be to keep clean outside) and just steer the
camera and read off the angle from a servo.

Or the cheaper option (which I have already tried) using a wiimote camera
with the IR filter removed. I does need bright objects tho'
   http://www.instructables.com/id/Wii-Remote-IR-Camera-Hack/
My first use of my logic analyser, finding and decoding the i2c pins on a
camera from a cheap clone wii remote which has a nice little PCB with a
lump of snot behind it doing the clever stuff!!


-- 
Robin Gilks
Internet: robin at gilks.org    http://www.gilks.org
Tel:      (+64) (3) 347 4370