land warrior kinda

[aimpoint]

hello boys and girls

iv been lookin at the land warrior and force warrior programs the pat few days and iv become very intrested in the consept anyways i think i can rig up some kind of security camera to my gun but for the helmet mounted display iv drawn a blank

iv got no idea how to do this part iv spent a few hours on google trying to find out how to make on/were to get one without very much luck so i was hopeing that someone on the forms has an idea how to do this or can provide me with a link with a how to kinda guide

if i can work this out then iv got a few other ideas for projects to go with it

aimpoint

[rhino]

I think oikoik did something like this, you'd be better off asking him. As for suggestion-wise, how about something like the cameras-on-armour in Aliens that the Marines have as an alternative?

[aimpoint]

thanks rhino il try pm oikoik then

i was thinking that if i couldnt find a small enough screen to go on my helmet the i would try and have it mounted on the fore-arm or somthing similar were i can easyily see it, but i also think it may be a bit more prone to dammage there

[oikoik]

hello, yeah, i have a helmet [and gun] mounted video/audio camera..

theres two ways to hook up - wireless, in which case you need a base tha runs the receiver and the camera, or you can carry the camera with you [which is what i do, considering ive had variable results with the receivers reception]

i've considered the helmet mounted screen as well - the closest i came was to buy one of those flip nvg mounts, and rig something on there [possibly hack up the fake nvg sights you can get and put a screen in there, so you can flip it up or down as required].

ths issue was the cost of the technology.. small screens, with reasonable power consumption are hard to get for a decent price..

anyway, if you get one, you could split the output from the camera so it feeds both the video recorder [so you can watch your stuff afterwards - usually what i use it for] and you get to see it in realtime [live feed - which ive done with a handheld tv - but dont bother, the resolution on these things is so low its not worht bothering with..]

 

let me know what you think..

 

^ is just a few images from my helmet videocamera

^ sketch of the helmetvideo camera position and battery pouch [for a custom pouch set made for me]

[aimpoint]

wow thanks oikoik thats the most help iv had so far

i like the idea of the 2 way split system 1 to a hmd and the other goin to a camcorder, what type of cam do you use ? those pics are kick *albatross*

as for the small screens i was lookin towards a handheld tv and hackin it up but if you say that the image is ###### the i wont bother, the only other ideas iv had for the screens are taking apart a cheap digi cam with an lcd screen or useing one of those "trackir2" sistems for flight sim games (lock on players will know waht im on about) if i could rig it up to a camera il try and get some links up for this later

[chu017]

hi all

 

working in IT and comunications and formaly for a tv company

this is my field

 

and can recomend probucts from

 

http://www.inition.co.uk/indexf.htm

http://www.inition.co.uk/inition/product_h...al_products.php

 

haveing used some of these systems there exelent

but not cheep

 

phill_j_b@hotmail.com

[oikoik]

heh, that is the mutts nuts!

i want some of that gear, it would be perfect.

 

sadly, yeah, i dont tink id be able to afford any of that, and then it might need some padded protection from hits and general rough n tumble..

[Banzai]

This reminds me of the Halo optic rig the marines use

[Cabe]

you could make a very compact system using one of those Archos recorder jukebox things and a bullet spy cam, you wouldnt need anything else to record that.

[oikoik]

except ive looked at those already:

the thing on its own was like $250-500, the digital recording mod was extra on top of that (extra $300).

the battery compartment is accessible via screws, and the charge only lasts for 3 hrs, so youd be back and forth to get to an ac adapter.

also the units been criticise for beingway to fragile - so i dont think id fancy its chances in the rough and tumble of a full-on game environment..

also the archos and most of the other units out there are all very bulky.

 

what we're kinda talking about tho is a screen that might be viewable as well from the eye level - a hud if you like, colonial marine style i guess, as the mini-camera-recordable is already doable on the cheap.

and because of most players of this types size and bulk, i dont fancy hanging off that kind off stuff from my head..

 

i actually do use a pvr already [i actually have the same bettery issues as the archos tho - my mini cameras outlast the pvr..], and its ok, but its still not something i'd hang off the top of my head..

i thought about mounting it in a wrist or forearm based viewing module, but i'd need shedloads of padding etc..

 

the good quality pvrs out there have prices around 300-400, or even 800 to start with - again we're going out of the ralms of affordable stuff ..

give another year, youll have better and cheaper pvrs to work with, hopefully cheaper standalone tft screens also available that we can play with then..

[Cabe]

hum, there are some cheap olympus eyetreks on ebay. I expect the quality on the screen is a little iffy though.

[aimpoint]

oikoik i just read on another thread that this http://www.enjoy.co.uk/prodv/940/view.html

is a similar set up to yours,do you just transmit the image straight to that transmiter thing pluged into you camcorder than ?, what type of camcorder do you use may i ask

[aimpoint]

right iv found the following website that sell the spy cams and transmiters/receviors things im guna get this http://www.darkplanets.com/product_info.asp?pid=223 unless im told its rubbish otherwise in the next few days

[Cabe]

those cameras transmit at 2.4 ghz which is attenuated by nearly everthing, you wont get alot of range from it, TBH your better off wearing the recorder ont your back or something.

[aimpoint]

yea i was guna plug it into my camera corder and carry it in a pouch

on my vest,but im not sure it will fit my cam

[Cabe]

something like a water canteen pouch should do, but im not convinced about the protection the camera would receive.

[aimpoint]

yea thats along the lines i was thinking or a gas mask pouch maybe,when i ment i wasnt sure that it wouldnt fit i ment i didnt know if i could rig the transmiter up to my camracorder,sorry for the il worded post thats why i wanted to know what camracorder oik uses

[aimpoint]

update:

right iv got a rough mock up of the helmet cam system everything is there apart from the screen/hud gun cam whatevere you want to call it,the lumps and bumps on the helmet contain batts,wires,transmitter and other bits and bobs there is a cam mounted on the right side of the helmet (out of picture) and the flip down screen isnt real but is there to give an idea of what im hopeing to get anyways heres a pic dont laugh to much

*edit* and yes befor someone says it, yes there is a lot of duck tape on it

[oikoik]

ah right - i didnt know that this thread had progressed!

well done aimpoint! (there seems to be a lot of duc.. oh )

 

helmet cam video:

http://www.oik.ascuk.net/safezone2004/hostresclo2.mov

 

gun cam video:

http://www.oik.ascuk.net/safezone2004/agentlo.mov

 

the weather was really wet and very cold - i dont know if it caused an issue with the camera - because it came out blurrier than i expected [you can only screw-focus the lens so much before it falls out of the camera]

 

 

camcorder: just a cheap canon

pvr: a cheap pvr recording in mpeg4 [its a bit ###### really - the camcorder did a better job, but i kinda gave up on carrying the camera, batteries, and miles of wiring around in a SAW 100 or 200 rnd pouch..]

[the SAW pouches - i'm pretty sure its a 200rnd pouch - are large enough for your average sized camcorder - i used some foam padding and bubble wrap in there]

 

i havent got round to sourcing a cheapo lcd screen that can run off 8v or 9v batteries.

also, the lcd screen needs to be pretty high def, otherwise its a bit useless to use [as i found with the casio handheld tv - the res is so low its not worth it]

 

the trouble i also found with the camcorder is that the wires are really really easy to get ripped out when running around or jumping in and out of 747's, apc's or humvee's.. quite annoying really, even when taped down.. also its a real hassle to get out and view or to check in the middle of a firefight

thats why a flip down screen would be nice to have..

[a pvr does a pretty decent job actually]

 

another issue ive come across is that of course i dont wear a helmet all the time [ballcap, boonie, balaclava and no hat or helmet on top, etc] - so ive been thinking about using a head strap of some sort. i used to use a strap that used to have those lights on, took the light off, replaced it with the camera, but it wasnt really satisfactory.

i'm thinking about adapting an army headset [a british army clansmen would be ideal], and mounting a camera on there.

 

[edit: i cant type for toffee]

[Megalomaniac]

Hmm, this thread has made start to think about actually making a short film I was thinking about making called FPS-Life. Basically it would be a 10-20 minute film shot from a camera mounted ontop a pair of goggles and would follow a skirmisher getting ready and then skirmishing. Pretty simple I just need to find a camera that's small enough and light enough to be mounted onto a pair of goggles and not cause neck damage.

[aimpoint]

thanks oikoik, yep lots of duck tape lol

i thought a saw pouch would do a good enough job of holding a cam,yea im trying to find a decent lcd screen, a friend of mine sugested an mobile phone screen which got me thinking if it would be possible, however i wouldn't have the first clue how to adapt it to the cam

iv also found that the narrower the lcd screen, the better it would be, as on the mock thing iv got it doesn't affect your overall vision as you right eye makes up for what your left cant

now as i haven't got a display screen yet im going to start work on the gun cam im not sure if i should have it like oikoik has in a fake lam or have it as the stand alone site and do away with the other sights that i can mount on my m4/m16 (in the pic)

[oikoik]

awesome pic aimpoint - i was wondering if it was an issue for the real soldier to be wanting a cable dangling from their helmet - seems its okay..

[but ive had trouble getting it snagged in woodland!]

 

the perfect system would a HUD style unit - with the flip down unit actually being see-thru perspex, with the image [and data] actually projected onto it.

that would be nice..

 

does anyone have any more info on that side helmet mount [not that nvg one]?

i've seen it also mounted ona british soldiers helmet [the army advert on tv at the moment has the lead soldier whos talking with this mount]

[aimpoint]

not quite sure which bit you are talking about

but i have many more pics like this (really done my homework on this land warrior stuff ) anyways you may be able to point out what you mean in these pics

 

*edit* my m4 isnt going to end up looking like the one in the bottom pic

[oikoik]

lol. it all looks.. quite bulky...

[Brick]

Looks like it weighs a f******* ton, you gotta be one fit bunny to carry that for more than 5 minutes. I was thinking with the money tha yanks have for R&D in the military they would have come up with a better system that would actually be usable. Keep us posted both of you, if you get a working model post the specs and everyone with a soldering iron will jump in.