The Icarus Project

The Icarus Project is a home brew project to send a camera high into the stratosphere to take pictures of the Earth from near space. The camera is enclosed in a flight box and attached to a helium weather balloon which lifts the camera to an altitude of approximately 35,000 meters above sea level. The camera is controlled by a small micro computer which takes pictures at timed intervals in various directions. Other sensors to measure temperature, barometric pressure and altitude are incorporated into the flight box.








The on board computer transmits location and altitude data to the ground station. This information is transmitted using radio teletype (RTTY) which is faster and more reliable than CW (Morse Code).

A secondary communication system will soon be implemented using a GSM / GPS tracking device to aid recovery of the payload.

The resulting photographs and videos, which he published online on flickr, were so impressive that Nasa has been in touch.

“A guy phoned up who worked for Nasa who was interested in how we took the pictures,” Mr Harrison told The Times. “He wanted to know how the hell we did it. He thought we used a rocket. They said it would have cost them millions of dollars.”

The UK Met Office sends up similar balloons every day to measure a range of weather conditions but Mr Harrison holds the record for the highest HAB flight at 22 miles (35km). He is working on his third model, which has a rotating-lens camera and a rear fixed-lens camera, as well as pressure, temperature and humidity sensors.

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More Info:
The Icarus Project

Flying Camera From Poland

Camera in six different directions held in place by a gyroscope, weight of camera up to 5kg

The helicopter is operated by two people:
The pilot and the camera operator who has the ability to operate the camera (Arri 2c, Bolex super 16, Sony Z1) or camera in six different directions held in place by a gyroscope.
Helicopter weights 23kg (with Arri 2c)

The Helicopter has the ability to stay in the air for up to 40 minutes
The Camera offers the possibility of filming in the digital mode with a resolution of 12.2 MegaPixels

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More Info:

ArtCam

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RIDGID SeeSnake Micro Inspection Camera

The Ridgid SeeSnake Micro Inspection Camera is a Video Inspection and Diagnostic equipment composed of a camera placed at the end of a 3-foot flexible cable that uses a 2.5 inch, 234×160 pixel color LCD screen for display.
The small camera uses 2 adjustable LED lights and comes attached to the cable.

What can it be used for? Countless uses, such as inspecting inaccessible places inside machinery, wiring connections, searching underneath a large piece of furniture, having a peek inside a hollow wall, H/VAC-R Repairs, etc.
It will help you "Detect and Inspect the Unreachable".

The camera head is completely waterproof.
The cable can be lengthened to up to 30 feet and will remain fully waterproof up to 10.
Various accessories can be placed at the end, including a small mirror, a hook, and a magnet.

Features:

• Waterproof Camera Head and Cable
• 100% stainless steel camera head and new heavy-duty lighting
• Fully Adjustable LED Lighting
• High intensity lights offer better resolution and better illumination
• Flexible 3' Cable
• Stiffer push rod to let you push your camera longer distances
• Twist and Lock Attachments
• 4-AA Batteries
• Comfort Grip
• High Visibility 2.5 Inch Color LCD
• Protective Storage Case

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Available from:
RIDGID

Spy Cameras

Spy Cameras from Spy Gadgets

Wired:
They have a wire that goes all the way from the camera to the VCR or TV.
They also need a power supply that plugs into an A/C outlet.

Cordless:
No wires but require power, solar power or battery packs. A separate receiver system attaches to your TV, Recorder, Computer, etc.

Wireless:
Air-borne signal, but you also require power, solar power or battery packs., use batteries, while a separate receiver system attaches to your TV, Recorder, Computer, etc.

And the ones we like the most, Self-contained Spy Cameras:

Available in the following disguised appliances:

Air Purifier	Alarm Clock	Ionizer	Mantle Clock	DVD Player	Boom Box
Motion Detector	Portable CD Player	VCR	Wall Clock	Calculator	Lantern Style Clock

Watch this video of how these self contained hidden spy cameras can help you capture the evidence you need.

And of course, this post would not be complete without the Undercover Cameras:

Hard Wired Pen Camera

Sunglasses Camera
Cell Phone Hidden Camera

Wireless Pen Camera


All Available from:
Spy Gadgets

They also offer:

• Micro Cameras
• Board Cameras
• Bullet Cameras
• Digital Video Recorders
• Time Lapse Recorders
• Phone Recorders
• Digital Voice Recorders
• Listening Devices
• Vehicle Tracking
• Counter Surveillance
• Home Security
• Burglar Alarms
• Voice Changers
• Lie Detector
• James Bond Gadgets
• Stun Guns
• Bionic Ear

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Legal Issues
Illegal use of this equipment is becoming more and more frequent.
Improperly photographing unsuspecting people in places where they expect a reasonable amount of privacy is a felony.
When in doubt, contact a lawyer.

Video Making Equipment you can make easily at home

	PVC Camera Rig: This really easy to make PVC rig for your camcorder is based on the figg design of a wheel that provides good control and also acts as a stabilizer because the centre of gravity is lowered. This is all made from easy to get PVC irrigation pipe and fittings and you can make it just with a hacksaw to cut the pipe. This universal rig ALSO allows you to attach microphones, receivers and video lights to the frame. This simple to make project has it's own tutorial and it can be made in less than an hour and you are ready to shoot. See the tutorial on how to build this rig
	Build your own Mike Blimp: This really effective microphone wind shield is simple to build and also has a great extendable boom. You will be able to build the entire blimp (zepplin) for less than $20 and we found a perfect boom for $15. This simple to make project has it's own tutorial and it virtually eliminates all wind noise when you use your shotgun microphone in the casing. See the tutorial on how to build this rig
	Build your own LCD Hood: Ever tried to use your LCD 'flipout' screen on your camera outdoors?? Right, when the light is bright you see nothing!! I prefer to do intial focus and setup with the EVF but it's a lot easier to follow action using the LCD screen..as long as you can actually see it!!! It works really well and allows you to use the flip-out screen even in bright daylight and get a sharp clear image. See the tutorial on how to build this rig
	Front-end and 'anti-shock' mic mount for our Mini Crane: For those of you who are building our Mini-Crane here's another option to build for the camera mount. Both my MiniDV cameras (for some unknown reason) don't have an accessory shoe so you cannot add an external microphone! Even if you did, there is still the aspect of transmitted noise so we replaced the original camera mount on the crane with the rig on the left which holds the camera nicely and also provides a shock-mount for the shotgun mike on top. See the tutorial on how to build this rig
	Build your own Camcorder Mount Rig: This is simple and it works. We have recently sold all our big, heavy analogue shoulder mount cameras in favour of smaller and lighter DV cameras but you just CAN'T get a steady handheld shot with this small device strapped to one hand. (Even holding the LCD display with your second hand doesn't work that well. Here is the answer...it gives you steady handheld shots and costs under $20 to build and you get the same sort of stability that a shoulder-mount ENG camera gives you. Watch the video See the tutorial on how to build this rig
	Build your own Camcorder Mini Crane: I went one step further and ripped a tripod apart and mounted the pan head on my mini-crane cos it's more useful there. No more juggling around with the tripod trying to get the height and position right!! You just walk left or right, forward or backwards for that perfect shot. PLUS you can do smooth pans and you never have to tilt the camera to get a high shot!! Try doing a low angle pan from a couple of feet of the ground to over 10 feet in the air and then track forwards or backwards in one fluid shot. Watch the video See the tutorial on how to build this rig
	Build your own Camera Stabilizer: If you are making an action movie and your hand-held shots look decidedly amateur, then try using this unique cam stabilizer that will give you silky smooth footage. Believe it or not it not only provides a lower Centre of Gravity for your camcorder but also compensates for yaw, pitch and roll just like the professional units but this one will only cost you around $30 or less!! See the tutorial on how to build this rig Check out this video about the new DIY Camera Stabilizer
	Making a Track Dolly: To attain some degree of professionalism with shots you often need a smooth tracking shot because simply panning the camera looks decidedly amateur. A dolly that runs on wheels is not that expensive to purchase but it really only of any use on a smooth indoor surface. The only way to get smooth tracking shots outdoors is to use a dolly that runs on rails that can be laid down over rough terrain to get that shot you really need. You can build one yourself for a few dollars just using standard PVC irrigation pipe See the tutorial on how to build this rig

From Sofweigh Multimedia Video Resources:

Home Security Cameras

Shown at Fox 7's "Inspector Gadget".

Brian West gives Sarah Brownlee some tips on how to spy on the neighbors and those pesky animals using some interesting surveillance technology.

Fujifilm FinePix V10

Fujifilm introduced the Fujifilm FinePix V10 at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show in January 2006.

Steven Combs shares with Sarah Brownlee at Fox 7's "Inspector Gadget", one of the best deals available in a pocket sized digital camera, the FujiFilm V10.

Sony Cybershot

The Sony Cybershot DSCP200 is a great camera disguised as a small gadget.

With a weight of only

and m.

It features an awesome 7.20

Megapixels CCD Sensor.

Its software runs both on

I want one.

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Amazon.com: Sony Cybershot DSCP200 7.2MP Digital Camera 3x Optical Zoom: Camera & Photo

(Description copyright Amazon.com) - DSC-P200 - Compatible with Memory Stick and Memory Stick Pro media; includes 32 MB card. Powered by Lithium-ion battery (NP-FR1); connects to PCs and Macs via USB 2.0. 7.2 MP CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality prints up to 15 x 20 inches. 3x optical and 2x digital zoom for 6x total zoom. Carl Zeiss optics; 16-shot burst mode; high-resolution movie mode with sound

Windows and Mac.

180 grs. and a size of	104 x 52 x 28 mm. it is actually easier to handle than a packet of cigarretes.
It supports image resolutions from	3072x2304 to 1280x960
ovie resolutions of	640x480 and 160x112

Technorati : camera, sony

Samsung Digimax

 Samsung Digimax Pro 815 8MP Digital Camera

15x Optical Zoom
3.5-Inch LCD

Sony Cybershot Digital Camera

Sony Cybershot DSCP200 7.2MP Digital Camera 3x Optical Zoom