Hardware

First of all, a nearly comprehensive list of detailled vision system used in binocular heads, hosted by Penn University and a list of vision equipments related to vision hosted by Carnegie Mellon University.

I - Complete Cameras : Makers

Here is a list of the principal video camera makers :

• DVC is a company proposing a small serie of B&W camera with a digital output RS422, size : 120x95x63mm, weight : 450g, 30 up to 40 frames/s depending the mode (8/10 bits).
• Elmo is a company selling a lot of very small and very light cylindrical analog camera. You could find informations at SpySite in Remote Head Cameras section.
• Pulnix propose an interesting serie of B&W and color small analog camera, and also digital ones but relatively big.
• Kappa proposes a serie of big analog cameras but with remote head option for all of them.
• Sony Electronics Inc proposes a very interesting serie of small and light analog cameras and specially the XC-777(22x22x89mm/75g) and the XC-999 (22x22x120mm/99g).
• Dalsa inc. sells big digital cameras which outputs from 8 up to 12 bits signal. They sell very high frame rates cameras (up to 100 MHz).
• Cohu sells a lot of camera for outside monitoring and hence very robust, excepted some models like the Cohu 2122 (53.8x39.4x119mm/190g).
• Wintriss Engineering makes integrated camera and framegrabber solutions for PC (Model OPSIS-3100A), frame rates : 60 images/s, PCI interface maximum bandwith : 330 Mbits/s, size : ~110x110cm.

II - Complete Cameras : Sellers

You will also find iwthin the following vendors the features of some of this cameras, cited before. But you will also find other cameras brand, not cited due to their size and their cost(Toshiba, Hitachi, Panasonic) or their small frame rate (Hamatsu, Kodak, Xillix) or no area camera (Temet Vision):

• Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. sells Sony,Toshiba,Panasonic and Pulnix cameras.
• Precision Digital Image sells DVC,Hamamatsu,Kodak,Pulnix and Xillix cameras.
• Vision 1 sells a lot of cameras.
• Subtechnique sells Pulnix, Kodak and Panasonic cameras.

III - Cameras Modules & CCD Chips

• Marshall makes a lot of CCD based cameras modules and like the small V-1210. They also sell a good range of corresponding lenses (good experience with it).
• Polaris makes CCD based cameras modules interesting and cheap.
• Vision sells numerous CMOS based modules cameras and also interesting CMOS chips outputing directly digital video signal (now in tough concurrence with Motorola products).
• Philips Semiconductors sells CCD chips but also CCD based module cameras, and specially the digital output serie VCM 4410, 4450, 4310 et 4350.
• Texas Instruments Semiconductors sells CCD chips, of all prices and of sizes.
• Imec sells CCD chips, which sensors mimicks some of the characteristics of the human retina and specially the varying density across the surface. These chips belongs to the serie called FUGA.

IV - Pan-Tilt Platforms

• Directed Perception build precise, quick pan-tilt platforms but bulky (bad experience with it).
• HelpMate Robotics (ex TRC) builds mono or stereo quick pan-tilt platforms, but quite bulky.
• An original solution without mechanical parts : Omniview uses a wide view and zooms in a software way on the wnted area.
• EMCO Intertest builds miniature pan-tilt platforms, but quite slow.
• Other solutions from telesurveillances : le Videoalarm Online Catalog and also the Molynx one.
• ICI provides pan-tilt platforms using a patent called Roto-Lok.

An interesting reference is Electronic Systems Integration, Inc., which have an important serie of controller for positionning cameras.

V - Pan-Tilt Platforms with Camera

Last, here are some products combining a camera and an actuation system :

• A company selling products for teleinspection : Visual Inspection Technologies,
• Pan-tilt systems for Ultra Light Motorised : Sky Eye 1.
• VCC1 from Canon, for teleconferences, Pan : max. speed 35 degrees/s and an angle of +/- 50 degrees. Tilt : 38 degrees/s and +/- 20 degrees. Controled via RS-232.
• Sony Electronics Inc proposes two types of pan-tilt cameras EVI-D30/31 and EVI-G20/21.