Webcam
A webcam is a
Webcams have been used on the Internet as early as 1993, and the first widespread commercial one became available in 1994. Early webcam usage on the Internet was primarily limited to stationary shots streamed to web sites. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, instant messaging clients added support for webcams, increasing their popularity in video conferencing. Computer manufacturers later started integrating webcams into laptop hardware. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a shortage of webcams due to the increased number of people working from home.
History
Early development (early 1990s)
First developed in 1991, a webcam was pointed at the Trojan Room coffee pot in the Cambridge University Computer Science Department (initially operating over a local network instead of the web). The camera was finally switched off on August 22, 2001. The final image captured by the camera can still be viewed at its homepage.[1][2] The oldest continuously operating webcam, San Francisco State University's FogCam, has run since 1994 and is still operating as of February 2024.[update] It updates every 20 seconds.[3]
The SGI Indy, released in 1993, is the first commercial computer to have a standard video camera,[4] and the first SGI computer to have standard video inputs.[5]
The maximum supported input resolution is 640×480 for NTSC or 768×576 for PAL. A fast machine is required to capture at either of these resolutions, though; an Indy with slower R4600PC CPU, for example, may require the input resolution to be reduced before storage or processing. However, the Vino hardware is capable of DMAing video fields directly into the frame buffer with minimal CPU overhead.
The first widespread commercial webcam, the black-and-white
The first widely known laptop with integrated webcam option, at a pricepoint starting at US$ 12,000, was an IBM
Entering the mainstream (late 1990s)
One of the most widely reported-on webcam sites was
In the late 1990s,
2000s–2019
Around the turn of the 21st century, computer hardware manufacturers began building webcams directly into
For less than US$100 in 2012, a
2020–present
Webcams are considered an essential accessory for remote work, mainly to compensate for lower quality video processing with the built-in camera of the average laptop. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a shortage of webcams.[15] Most laptops before and during the pandemic were made with cameras capping out at 720p recording quality at best, compared to the industry standard of 1080p or 4K seen in smartphones and televisions from the same period.[16] The backlog on new developments for built-in webcams is the result of a design flaw with laptops being too thin to support the 7mm camera modules to fit inside, instead resorting to ~2.5mm.[17][18] Also the camera components are more expensive and not a high level of demand for this feature, [19][20] Smartphones started to be used as a backup option or webcam replacement, with kits including lighting and tripods or downloadable apps.[21]
Technology
Image sensor
Image sensors can be
As webcams evolved simultaneously with display technologies, USB interface speeds and broadband internet speeds, the resolution went up from gradually from 320×240, to 640×480, and some now even offer 1280×720 (aka 720p) or 1920×1080 (aka 1080p) resolution.[23][24][25] Despite the low cost, the resolution offered as of 2019 is impressive, with now the low-end webcams offering resolutions of 720p, mid-range webcams offering 1080p resolution, and high-end webcams offering 4K resolution at 60 fps.
Optics
Various lenses are available, the most common in consumer-grade webcams being a plastic
Most models use simple, focal-free optics (fixed focus, factory-set for the usual distance from the monitor to which it is fastened to the user) or manual focus.
Webcams can come with different presets and fields of view. Individual users can make use of less than 90° horizontal FOV for home offices and live streaming. Webcams with as much as 360° horizontal FOV can be used for small- to medium-sized rooms (sometimes even large rooms). Depending on the users' purposes, webcams in the market can display the whole room or just the general vicinity.
Internal software
As the
Support electronics read the image from the sensor and transmit it to the host computer. Most webcams come with a controller that translates video over
Interface and external software
Various proprietary as well as free and open-source software is available to handle the UVC stream. One could use Guvcview or GStreamer and GStreamer-based software to handle the UVC stream. Another could use multiple USB cameras attached to the host computer the software resides on, and broadcast multiple streams at once over (Wireless) Ethernet, such as MotionEye. MotionEye can either be installed onto a Raspberry Pi as MotionEyeOs, or afterwards on Raspbian as well. MotionEye can also be set up on Debian, Raspbian is a variant of Debian. MotionEye V4.1.1 ( Aug '21 ) can only run on Debian 10 Buster ( oldstable ) and Python 2.7. Newer versions such as 3.X are not supported at this point of time according to Ccrisan, foundator and author of MotionEye.
Various software tools in wide use can be employed to take video and pictures, such as
Uses
The most popular use of webcams is the establishment of
Videotelephony
Webcams can be added to
Webcams can also encourage remote work, enabling people to work remotely via the Internet. This usage was crucial to the survival of many businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, when in-person office work was discouraged. Businesses, schools, and individuals have relied on video conferencing instead of spending on business travel for meetings. Moreover, the number of video conferencing cameras and software have multiplied since then due to their popularity.
Webcam features and performance can vary by program, computer operating system, and also by the computer's processor capabilities. Video calling support has also been added to several popular instant messaging programs.
Webcams allow for inexpensive, real-time
The popularity of webcams among teenagers with Internet access has raised concern about the use of webcams for
Monitoring
Webcams can be used as
In December 2011, Russia announced that 290,000 Webcams would be installed in 90,000 polling stations to monitor the 2012 Russian presidential election.[32] Webcams may be installed at places such as childcare centres, offices, shops and private areas to monitor security and general activity.
Astrophotography
With very-low-light capability, a few specific models of webcams are very popular to photograph the night sky by astronomers and astro photographers. Mostly, these are manual-focus cameras and contain an old CCD array instead of comparatively newer CMOS array. The lenses of the cameras are removed and then these are attached to telescopes to record images, video, still, or both. In newer techniques, videos of very faint objects are taken for a couple of seconds and then all the frames of the video are "stacked" together to obtain a still image of respectable contrast.[33]
Laser beam profiling
A webcam's CCD response is linearly proportional to the incoming light.[34] Therefore, webcams are suitable to record laser beam profiles, after the lens is removed. The resolution of a laser beam profiler depends on the pixel size. Commercial webcams are usually designed to record color images. The size of a webcam's color pixel depends on the model and may lie in the range of 5 to 10 µm. However, a color pixel consists of four black and white pixels each equipped with a color filter (for details see Bayer filter). Although these color filters work well in the visible, they may be rather transparent in the near infrared. By switching a webcam into the Bayer-mode it is possible to access the information of the single pixels and a resolution below 3 µm was possible.[35]
Privacy concerns
Many users do not wish the continuous exposure for which webcams were originally intended, but rather prefer privacy.
Cameras such as
Various companies sell sliding lens covers and stickers that allow users to retrofit a computer or smartphone to close access to the camera lens as needed.[38] One such company reported having sold more than 250,000 such items from 2013 to 2016.[38] However, any opaque material will work just as well.[38]
The process of attempting to hack into a person's webcam and activate it without the webcam owner's permission has been called
See also
- Action camera
- Camera phone
- IP camera
- List of video telecommunication services and product brands
- Trail camera
References
- ^ CoffeeCam Archived 2012-03-13 at the Wayback Machine, University of Cambridge.
- ^ "Trojan Room Coffee Pot – SPIEGEL ONLINE". Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ^ "'World's oldest webcam' to be switched off". BBC News. 20 August 2019. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- .
- EBSCO.
- PC World Magazine, June 17, 2010.
- ^ "RS/6000 Notebook 860" (PDF). kev009.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
- ^ "US - IBM RS/6000 Notebook 860 Model 860". www-01.ibm.com. 2000-06-28. Archived from the original on 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
- ^ "IBM ThinkPad Power Series 820 and 850". www-01.ibm.com. 1996-07-09. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
- ^ "Plug pulled on live website seen by millions" Archived 2022-08-19 at the Wayback Machine by Oliver Burkeman in The Guardian, January 3, 2004
- ^ "Video-Conference Program Allows More Private Face-To-Face Time". Chicago Tribune. 24 May 1999. Archived from the original on 2022-04-21. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
- ^ "Yahoo! Instant messenger unveils broadband Webcam". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
- ^ "MSN Messenger gains webcam functionality". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
- ^ Lanxon, Nate (July 16, 2009). "3D photos: Minoru 3D webcam hands-on". CNET. Archived from the original on 2010-12-05.
- ^ "Webcams have become impossible to find, and prices are skyrocketing". The Verge. 9 April 2020. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "Best webcams 2021: Top picks for working from home". TechRadar. 5 August 2021. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "Huawei's new laptop has a mechanical pop-up webcam in the keyboard". The Verge. 25 February 2018. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "In the Age of Zoom, Bad Laptop Webcams Are a Big Problem". 8 April 2020. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "New MacBook Pro Finally Features a 1080p Webcam Within a Notch". MacRumors. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "Dear Apple, please stop putting crummy cameras on your MacBooks". 19 March 2020. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "How to Turn Your Smartphone into a Webcam". Wired. Archived from the original on 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ^ "Cnet". Archived from the original on 2021-07-14. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
- ^ "How Much Resolution is Enough? Picking a Webcam". eBay. Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ^ Jonathan Knoder (9 May 2013). "1080p, 2.0 Mega Pixels? Understanding Webcam Technical Terms". Top Ten Reviews. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ^ Alan Henry (18 November 2012). "Five Best Webcams". Lifehacker. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on 29 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ^ "The Problems with Omegle Girls and Free Chat Services". OmegleGirlsChat. Archived from the original on 3 September 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
- ^ "Ex-band teacher pleads guilty to porn charge with girl, 16". jconline.com. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
- PC Magazine, March 16, 2012.
- ^ Tip From 4chan Leads To Arrest Of Site Visitor On Child Porn Charges Archived 2012-03-28 at the Wayback Machine," The Smoking Gun, February 27, 2012.
- ^ Goodin, Dan. Feds: bald man posing as 17-year-old secretly taped teens Archived 2017-12-10 at the Wayback Machine," The Register (UK), October 13, 2009.
- ^ Serial burglar caught on webcam Archived 2006-12-09 at the Wayback Machine BBC News, February 16, 2005, retrieved January 3, 2006.
- ^ Russia Election Webcams Archived 2017-09-22 at the Wayback Machine The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2012.
- OCLC 772458173.
- ^ Cignoli F, De Iuliis S, Zizak GA. Webcam as a light probe beam profiler. Appl. Spectrosc. 58, (2004), 1372.
- ^ G. Langer et al., A webcam in Bayer-mode as a light beam profiler for the near infrared, Optics and Lasers in Engineering 51 (2013) 571–575
- ^ "Jogador esquece webcam ligada e transmite sexo com namorada". Yahoo Notícias. 13 November 2012. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ISBN 978-0766033764. Archivedfrom the original on 2021-07-24. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
- ^ a b c d e Yadron, Danny (2016-06-06). "Why is everyone covering up their laptop cameras?". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 2019-04-13. Retrieved 2016-06-13.
Further reading
- Mühlbach, Lothar; Böcker, A; Prussog, A (June 1995). "Telepresence in Videocommunications: A Study on Stereoscopy and Individual Eye Contact". S2CID 31369406. Gale Document Number: GALE|A18253819. Accessed December 23, 2011 via General Science eCollection (subscription).
External links
- Media related to Webcams at Wikimedia Commons