Has anyone ever used a proximity sensor in conjuction with dash cam for parking mode?

Jroc

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I want to watch the footage of whenever someone gets close to my car, but I find the video to be too time consuming to watch, as it will pick up on things like leaves or when someone is 100 meters away. One day's recording will result in hundreds of clips, 99% of which is useless. I looked into these proximity sensors that people use for their car alarm systems. They are placed in the center console of a car and can detect when there is motion around the car. They are used with an alarm system, but I was wondering if it was possible to just use with a data logger of some kind that will log the time when motion is detected. Then if you want to watch your footage you can go straight to the relevant clips instead of having to watch all of them. Thanks for any insight.

Example of a proximity sensor:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/B0009JPR3C
Video of proximity sensor in use with alarm system:
 
The only way I can think of implementing this off the top to an existing camera would be to link it to the power supply and have it turn the camera power supply on when an object is detected and off after a set time of no detections. The issue here is many cameras take several seconds to boot before starting recording, so if the object impacted or interfered with the car before the camera booted, the opportunity to capture the event would be lost.

On a new camera, it's far easier to design in especially as many advanced cameras only save a file when an accident is detected (usually a shock) or the event button is pressed, recording from a buffer. On one of these designs, it should be possible to simply treat a detection as a button event.

Beyond that, if you want smarter, then I guess you're looking towards something like IVS found in CCTV cameras, but then I doubt you will have the processing power in a dashcam to intelligently interpret and track and objects. Network NVR's have full on CPU chipsets with which have the power to process software rules, not just simple image processors.
 
The only way I can think of implementing this off the top to an existing camera would be to link it to the power supply and have it turn the camera power supply on when an object is detected and off after a set time of no detections. The issue here is many cameras take several seconds to boot before starting recording, so if the object impacted or interfered with the car before the camera booted, the opportunity to capture the event would be lost.

this is not such an issue on new products we're doing as we have inputs we can use to trigger different functions within the camera to change what it's doing

On a new camera, it's far easier to design in especially as many advanced cameras only save a file when an accident is detected (usually a shock) or the event button is pressed, recording from a buffer. On one of these designs, it should be possible to simply treat a detection as a button event.

correct

T

Beyond that, if you want smarter, then I guess you're looking towards something like IVS found in CCTV cameras, but then I doubt you will have the processing power in a dashcam to intelligently interpret and track and objects. Network NVR's have full on CPU chipsets with which have the power to process software rules, not just simple image processors.

wish more people understood this, we get a few well meaning souls that try and tell us how things should be done when they have no idea of the differences in the hardware
 
I do like those Viper alarms :cool: but are pretty pricey at least for a little cheapo car like mine.

I have also asked for future modular dash cameras, so you could add more cameras or alarm modules to a common bus, and then maybe have them work together.
 
I have also been thinking lately, if a dashcam supported 2 microphones, it would be nice if one could be placed on the outside and be the active one when the car is parked.
It could also be cool if it was active if the car was just stopped ( SPEED = 0 )
But i recon it will be hard to find a mic that would be able to endure the elements most of the time, and then give good sound when it is needed once in a while.

Maybe have it so you could select mic manual on the camera, like DBL click the mic mute button to go outside mic and single click for inside, and triple click for mic off, or maybe just have mic off in the menu.
 
I think the problem with an external mic, is if you're parked on or near a busy road or footpath, then the cameras always going to be triggered and on, plus even if you record sound only, it still takes storage capacity to record constant audio.

Personally, I think the immediate future for dashcams lies with getting the basics right - lets get away from cheap lenses, low bit rates, fancy features that are unnecessary. Instead get the quality up so that number plates are readable at reasonable range and the picture is sharp and clear at all times, (maybe usable for non dashcam purposes as well), then worry about adding bells and whistles. For me dashcams have run before they can properly walk, or we've put the cart before the horse (if you prefer that saying).

I still wonder as well, having considered the fact a few people are running multiple cameras to get the best of both focal lengths, if there isn't some position at the high end for a dual lens camera - 1 fixed wide, and another with longer fixed focal length. You could even have Karcam's idea of a modular design where you could have 2 separate cameras with a common shell design, where one piggy backs and attaches to the base of the other so they stack one above the other (heat dissipation allowing).

Another radical solution would be to offer a camera with an M12 thread which enables the removal and changing of lens to any with an M12, thus opening the possibility of supplying a cam at a low price with a "standard" quality lens, but leaving it open for the end user to screw in another lens of higher quality or differing focal length. There could even be a cheaper lens free option where the cam is supplied minus a lens.

Another radical solution would be a camera with a remote lens mounted eg in the front grill or back edge of the bonnet to overcome the reflection from the windscreen. There are plenty of options to explore that potentially offer real picture gains going forwards, that offer more usefulness, than the latest 7 gps spell correcting self texting social media essay writing alert camera feature....that sells cameras but no-one really needs or even uses.

My philosophy is simple, let the pictures do the talking!
 
I think the problem with an external mic, is if you're parked on or near a busy road or footpath, then the cameras always going to be triggered and on, plus even if you record sound only, it still takes storage capacity to record constant audio.

you wouldn't use the mic to trigger recordings
 
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