Underside camera?

Whilst perusing the latest Harbor Freight mailer, I noticed that they had a "security camera" for $40. I got to thinking, what if you got that, and a really cheapee B&W tv, and rigged the camera under the Jeep? You could do your own trail spotting! (or at least some of it...)

What you guys think? Do I need to give Dan back his crackpipe, or is this kinda a cool idea?

 

I know a few people who have done something like it... usually lasts about 1 rock.

 

Well, there is something to be said about placement and protection....
Those things I can handle, I just wondered if I was high on fumes with this idea.

 

They were protected. The cameras did not like getting bounced around very much.

 

you would need a solid stat CCD camera. not one of the big security ones. Smaller would be better.

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=91851

 

Might work if you put 2 under and behind the bumper, looking back at your tire placement and rock positions. Maybe run a little LCD flat screen with a split display? Don't know if a single camera would give you a wide enough field of view. Try it, and let us know how it works - maybe you'll start a new trend!

 

Ok, I'll say it... Give Dan the crack pipe back

 

Thats what I was thinking.
Here it'd have to water proof.
We see some of the rock crawlers here that have cams mounted. They get taken out fairly often.

 

Meh, it was just a "hmmm, wouldn't it be cool....." kinda idea. I have no desire to run the wiring, make a mount, figger out where to put a small TV, hook up an inverter, etc, etc.

Gotta some lights to install anyhow....

 

Ah ha you were just testing us. R)

 

Well. Bill - I didn't take it as just an academic question. On the "Scorpion" 4x4 rock crawler that we built as a robot contender for the DARPA Grand Challenge this year ($2 million grand prize), we had waterproof cameras mounted - they were not the LCD cameras from Harbor Freight - we needed weatherproof cameras that gave us stereo vision, and a little bit better resolution than the Chinese models offered by HF. Still - with the cheap models, garage modified slightly, I don't see any reason why your EXCELLENT idea wouldn't work. BTW - The wiring would be a breeze, and the monitor and inverter are like NO PROBLEM. Totally off-the-shelf stuff.

 

Oh yeah - I know you are Thad, and "Bill" is the Jeep. I will probably continue to regularly forget that fact. BTW - Our robot vehicle (with the cameras) is just 2 hours south of you, in Tucson.