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Frankencamera: Camera with Linux OS

Now, not only PC or notebook that can be fitted by open source Operating System (OS). Frankencamera – thus the nickname of the camera – may be the first Open Source Camera that adopt the Linux operating system. Purposes of Frankencamera is to reduce the limitation by various software innate by particular camera manufacturer.

Andrew Adams and Marc Levoy – Students and professor of computer science departments Stanford Engineering – are two figures who were behind the birth of Frankencamera layer. Just as the Open Source operating system, programmers can write program code or algorithms to process different image. It can even compete with Canon or Nikon camera even once.

Frankencamera module consists of the Nokia N95 camera phone, electronic circuit board (circuit board), and a pair of Canon lenses. This type of DSLR camera enables the owner of the camera controls all the existing features, including focus, speed of the lens and flash software that can be programmed himself.

The ability of this camera can be proved using a specific algorithm. For example, a camera that can record low-resolution video at 30 frames per second (fps), will be combined with the camera shots still images periodically in the video frame. Interestingly, this camera can also be connected to the Internet.

This project has received support from Nokia, Adobe Systems, Kodak, and Hewlett Packard. HP recently sent David Jacobs (Stanford cooperation student-HP, 3-year program) to support this project. Meanwhile, Kodak also sent Eddy Talvala – also a student – to support this Frankencamera project.

By: Indah PM – InfoKomputer