Q: Has anybody setup their own web camera? Some of the services seem expensive for what you're getting. There is probably an easier way, but before I reinvent the wheel have any of you setup your own construction web camera? What equipment do you use? What software?
Mike Petka
Bancroft Construction
A: We use OxBlue.
Keith Murley
Schimenti Construction Company
A: I recently attended a Verizon sponsored event and they had a camera system there that I wanted to test. However I was a little disappointed when I heard they don't send out test equipment. The technology has improved with the use of embedded broadband. I'll try and find the intel.
Jim Gaba
Sierra Nevada Construction
A: We used EarthCam. Not cheap but did a great job. http://www.earthcam.com/
Joe Hussin
Manson Construction Co.
A: A long time ago, we managed our own webcam solution with products from Stardot Technologies. http://www.stardot-tech.com. Moving away from that technology to a managed service like OxBlue's was the best decision we made in this arena.
Ben Stromberg
Knutson Construction Services
A: I have used the Toshiba IK-WB21A cameras successfully. http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-IK-WB21A-Network-Megapixel-1280x960/dp/B000BJBCG6. These have decent zoom capabilities and good low light level sensitivity.
We just used the included software. The outdoor dome with heating option is a must. The cameras can be wireless or power-over-ethernet. If you can use ethernet, it is much easier. If you go wireless, you still have to get a source of power to the camera and be sure to get industrial strength wireless gear that is weatherproof.
Roger Nixon
BRB Contractors
A: I have used Ox Blue, and setup a standalone camera with a DiGi box. The Ox Blue is expensive, and only takes a picture once every 12 minutes, but it does produce a very nice time lapse, and is an all-inclusive unit. Also has a nice web interface for the customer.
The standalone with a Digi Box was slow to PTZ the camera (wireless card) and did we do not record the video(too much space). It was less expensive and gave a real time picture of the site. It also took us more time to setup the Digi Box (static IPs from the cell provider), whereas Ox Blue is preconfigured. If my owner wants the time lapse at the end, then I go with Ox Blue. If they just want to poke their heads in from time to time and do not mind the slowness, then I can get by with the Digi Box and camera.
Mark Reid
Saunders Construction
A: When considering a construction camera solution, an in house system would not be apples to apples with a professional full service provider. A do-it-yourself system using off the shelf components would not provide the same resolution, software interface, proactive monitoring support, reliability and professional time-lapse movie production services as a turnkey solution that you would receive from a full service construction camera provider.
Many construction IT departments have found outsourcing construction cameras to a full service provider to be a better value. The real total cost and maintenance needed with the results delivered often doesn't compare. If the quality of how the project looks and how the system performs is not important, and your need is simply to have a low cost solution, you may be able to spend less initially by doing it in house. Make sure to consider the total expense and IT resources required over the life of the project for installation, electrical work, troubleshooting, connectivity, archiving, user support and maintenance.
Some examples:
Flint Co: http://oxblue.com/pro/open/flintco/ConsolidatedGroundTransportationCenter
Cox & Schepp: http://oxblue.com/pro/open/coxschepp/havenodenton
Misc: http://oxblue.com/pro/open/demo/general_contractor_pro
For the DIY solution: I'd evaluate Axis for the camera portion. It's a good value if you want to do it yourself. If you don't want archiving, have IT people on site to deal with issues and already have good bandwidth at the site this may be an option.
For the turnkey solution: OxBlue specializes in providing a complete construction camera service which includes all hardware, cellular data connectivity, hosting and professional time-lapse production services. The system is available in 4, 6, 8 and 12 megapixel resolutions. Other options include solar power stations and robotic PTZ versions. There are several options when purchasing a system. Discounts are based on volume and project duration. There is also a lump-sum option which may help with your budget. So there isn't a one-size fits all price.
I'm not unbiased but feel this is a fair high-level view on it. Thank you to the OxBlue clients that have already responded to this.
Chandler McCormack
OxBlue Corp.
A: I have not been able to connect the dots with the guys at Ox Blue – but we have with the guys at EarthCAM. Our company owns four EarthCAM solar trailer platforms – we rigged ours with dual cameras – internet streaming (based on an axis PTZ) and high res-megapixel for time lapse. The beauty of the EarthCAM system is that it is just that – a system. We thought of home brew – and have actually paid some local photographers for time lapse work which could be post –produced. The key point to the EarthCAM system is their website that drives it and collects up all your image data. This allows owners, employees, and even subcontractors self-service access to the videos and high res images as they happen – or as they happened by reviewing the archives of prior shots. The time lapse comes out very nicely also – our contracts with EarthCAM for high res are one 12MP image every 2 minutes – they use the Sprint 4G or 3G data network – as currently Sprint is the only wireless ISP that does not meter their data accounts for services like this – and they allow remote access control back to the cameras via that cell data connection. Verizon Wireless does not yet allow this – and they meter their data services. So thru the website you can control the PTZ on the live camera, page back thru the archive shots by date and time on the megapixel images, and they just started selling a "robotic" megapixel camera which could be remotely controlled also. Recent contract specifications have been calling for these systems from the owners – per spec – so we are using them to fulfill a contract requirement initially – but management sees the value for our own internal needs also.
If your
MassDOT used a small clip of this time lapse in this video – you have to jump to the end at time stamp 7:03 to see the time lapse clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UStEDZ1FYnY
Bruce L. Roberts
J.F. White Contracting Co.