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point me in the right direction

coleio

Nov 11, 2019
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Hi guys and girls, just looking for some help.

I am looking for someone to design and manufacture a small camera for a racing helmet but i dont really know where or who i should go to. could you point me in the right direction? the camera itself needs to be like one found on a smartphone size wise and it needs to play to (ideally) a 1.5x2 inch screen. i will be mounting the camera to the back of the helmet (mounted on the inside looking through a small hole in the helmet casing, hence my mention of a smartphone camera) and the screen itself would be mounted onto the visor hence the small size screen. it does not need any memory, but because of the screen size it needs to be of decent quality. I do have a budget but im willing to stretch if i find someone worth stretching for.
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thanks for taking the time to read
regards
Cole
 

dave9

Mar 5, 2017
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What is the budget you anticipate? I'd expect someone to want several thousand dollars deposit to even begin development unless it's more about integrating an existing product into a helmet, which you can probably DIY.

The simplest solution is probably adapting a traditional automotive backup camera and display.
 

coleio

Nov 11, 2019
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I am not willing to disclose my budget publicly. honestly, I had the brainstorm in college today, i went home and took apart a replica gopro (one of the cheap ones) to see if i could d.i.y it myself. I was being pretty optimistic, (i have little to no electrical knowledge). so yes the idea was a d.i.y job. I am entering in a competitive racing series next march so if i could find someone to do this using existing equipment reconfigured that would be ideal.

that being said i am currently working towards a business degree and this is definitely something I will be pursuing in the future at a more refined level

thankyou for your reply
 

Bluejets

Oct 5, 2014
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Look up the many cheap camera arrangements that can be adapted from FPV gear.
Camera can be as low as $10 with assoc. Tx Rx for remote viewing at maybe $50.
 

coleio

Nov 11, 2019
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can you recommend a place to buy these products? and it doesnt necessarily need to be remote. the camera just needs a 12 inch cable that connects to the screen in the visor. thanks
 

Martaine2005

May 12, 2015
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Hi coleio,
Look on Ebay for pin hole camera or button hole camera. Also have a search for ‘nanny cam’.
These are tiny cameras mounted on a tiny pcb. They have connections for power and signal out. Then just find a small lcd or tft screen.
I think you’ll find vibration a big problem though. You wont be able to focus on the screen due to this. Mount your Gopro clone on the helmet out front and ride your bike, see if you can clearly see the screen.
If you are looking for a reversed picture, then a small reversing camera can be used instead as @Bluejets suggested.

Martin
 

Martaine2005

May 12, 2015
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Thinking aloud, you could use bluetooth or wifi and connect it to your phone on the handle bars.
My dashcam is wifi and connects to my phone for play back.
Just another avenue you might like to look into.

Martin
 

coleio

Nov 11, 2019
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thanks guys. i have found my camera. vibration shouldnt be a problem with this because it has auto stabilisation

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shanren-...579630?hash=item3d7dfa96ae:g:T9sAAOSwlelcJcMy

the only thing is im not sure if it comes with a cable to directly plug into a screen. i would need this because alot of the places i race at dont have wifi. any thoughts on that?

the most feasable option is to mount a smartphone to the steering wheel which i might have to do. the main characteristics of the screen is it needs to be thin enough to mount on the inside of a visor and also be approximately 1.5 x 2.5 inches in size while also being able to connect to the camera via a cable (usb??) or somehow wifi. any idea where i can find a screen like this? i would look on alibaba but i dont really know what to look for.
 

Martaine2005

May 12, 2015
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Hmm, me bad. Bicycles don’t have steering wheels!.
When I mentioned ‘wifi’, I wasn’t meaning internet. Some devices can connect to your ‘personal’ wifi. Device direct to your phone just like bluetooth. My dashcam does for example.
Regarding vibration, I meant the screen. Racing around and your head bobbing about will be difficult to focus on the screen. Especially mounted so close to your eyes inside a visor!. You may not even be able to focus that close at all..
In my motorbike days, I knew a bug had a terrible ending at 160Mph but could never focus on the ‘splat’ point of impact!.
You will have to trial & error the distance between your eyes and screen for focus and stable viewing.
One thing comes to mind though, while racing, your head is constantly moving left right etc. Taking a hard left turn, you are looking left (a little) without realizing. This points the helmet cam to your rear right!. Which is why rear view mirrors are fixed position. Not even thinking about ‘blind spots’.

Martin
 

coleio

Nov 11, 2019
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you raise a lot of valid points Martaine. i wasnt aware that mobile hotspots work that way. if that is the case i could mount the camera on the back of the seat saving me butchering the helmet and possibly invalidating its safety cert. i dont like the idea of having to have a phone for the hotspot though. are there standalone wifi equipment that can do this? smaller the better. the screen will vibrate with the helmet but it will only take a quick glance to determine whether someone is trying the inside or outside line but testing is the only way to know for sure.

checklist:
camera -- located
wifi equipment -- ??
screen -- currently speaking with a manufacturer based out of china. willing to do a small sample order for an acceptable price. see link below

https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...808.html?spm=a2700.8443308.0.0.7c453e5fX8vtLh

that is just a bare screen though. getting that to work through wifi with a camera is a different story. i imagine heres where the money comes into it. what do you think, are their alternatives?
 

Martaine2005

May 12, 2015
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Alternatives? Yes plenty. Viable? Perhaps.
FPV that @Bluejets suggested might be a better alternative although these work through a receiver, typically 2.4 Ghz these days. Meaning more hardware. I think you need to hack a digital camcorder or Gopro etc to achieve your goal. The camera you linked to is very expensive and much cheaper options can be found.
If this is going to be a business venture, then you need to look at simple video transmitters/receivers and miniaturize them. That is where the money goes..

Martin
 
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