Video Making

High-Quality Open Source Body Tracking Sans Kinect

High-Quality Open Source Body Tracking Sans Kinect

Draw a bounding box around an object in the camera’s field of view and Zdenek Kalal’s open source Predator algorithm will continuously track it in real-time with just a standard webcam. That’s right, get Kinect-like body tracking without the fancy hardware. With all those front-facing cameras out there, just think of the mobile applications! Minority Report-style HCI, face tracking, improved visual search, and video stabilization are a few examples.

Engineer Guy vs The LCD Monitor

Engineer Guy vs The LCD Monitor

For a few years now, I’ve had this hare-brained idea to try to separate the layers of polarizing film from a scrap LCD panel and make a polariscope out of them. So whenever I come across a dead one I tear it apart and do some experimenting. Probably been into half a dozen by now. But I’ve probably learned as much, or more, about how they actually work by watching Bill Hammack’s video this week. As always, this segment has something to offer novices, experts, and those, like myself, who know just enough to be dangerous. [Thanks, Bill!]

Polar Bear Spy Cams

Polar Bear Spy Cams

These covert cameras employed by wildlife videographer John Downer imitate natural elements of the Arctic Norwegian environment to grab an insanely closeup view of the polar bear’s journey. Jacob Resneck at Cool Hunting writes: Downer employs three types of cameras to track the lives of two mother bears as they lead their clubs across Arctic […]