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Voice activated camera

Instead of a shot timer, just say "cheese!"
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Cameras should have a voice recognition feature for taking family photos. Instead of setting a shot timer and running around, hoping to get in the picture before it goes off, just set the "Cheese" button. The camera will then patiently wait until everyone is in position, and when the camera hears "Cheese," it takes the shot.

Extra credit for the super high end feature that will use a phased array mic locate the speaker of the word and auto-focus on them.

tspyz, May 20 2002

Researchers patent technology for voice-activated camera tracking http://www.brown.ed...1997-98/97-112.html
[phoenix, May 20 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

PictureTel 4200ZX and 4500 Concorde Series (Videoconferencing equipment) http://www.ftf-tokyo.com/S_test.html
"...includes a LimeLight voice-activated camera-control system that automatically points the camera at whomever is currently speaking." [phoenix, May 20 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Polycom Voice-Activated (Video) Camera http://www.tmcnet.c...torsnotebook001.htm
"The voice-activated camera works using an array of microphones. Sound source locations are estimated 35 times per second, allowing the camera to train itself on the person speaking, even if that person moves around." [phoenix, May 20 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

sound-seeking swivel base http://www.halfbake...ing_20swivel_20base
"Camera base that turns towards sound source" [phoenix, May 20 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Sounds attract camera http://www.trnmag.c..._camera_072501.html
" University of Illinois researchers are taking steps towards that goal with a self-aiming camera that, like the biological brain, fuses visual and auditory information." [phoenix, May 20 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

CAMERA TRIPLINES: A New Approach to an Old Problem http://home.fuse.ne...affner/Tripline.htm
About sound activated shutters. [phoenix, May 20 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Simple Sound Synchronizers for Amateur High Speed Photography http://www.rit.edu/...ext-cheap-sync.html
And another. [phoenix, May 20 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Ballistics Photography http://www.kent.net/ve3rdn/ballistics/
A sound activated flash trigger. [phoenix, May 20 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

THE INVISIBLE HAND http://www.outdoorp.../1998/dec/head.html
"Use a remote trigger to capture otherwise impossible shots" [phoenix, May 20 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Konica Kanpai http://crave.cnet.c...429,49293712,00.htm
This is the camera I remembered. Thanks to "Rob" for asking me about this post and forcing me to look for it again. [phoenix, Aug 25 2008]

[link]






       Good plan. I especially like the array-mic touch. How about extra, extra credit for gaze detection that holds the shot until everyone is looking at the camera and facial feature recognition so that everyone is smiling?
bristolz, May 20 2002
  

       Baked and HalfBaked.
phoenix, May 20 2002
  

       None of those citations seem to address the idea at hand. They all appear to be aimed at digital meetings, telepresence and video rather than the family outing.
bristolz, May 20 2002
  

       They are aimed at video, primarily. I was looking for a link to a camera that came out a few years ago that did what this idea describes. It never sold well, so I assume it's out of production - which explains why I can't find a link. I'll keep looking, though.
phoenix, May 20 2002
  

       Enhance 224 to 176. Enhance, stop.   

       Move in, stop. Pull out, track right, stop. Center in, pull back. Stop.   

       Track 45 right. Stop. Center and stop.   

       Enhance 34 to 36. Pan right and pull back. Stop.   

       Enhance 34 to 46. Pull back. Wait a minute, go right, stop.   

       Enhance 57 to 19. Track 45 left. Stop.   

       Enhance 15 to 23. Give me a hard copy right there.
normzone, Aug 25 2008
  
      
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