Webcams (short for web cameras) is the designation for real-time camera (meaning the state at this very moment), whose image can be accessed or viewed via the World Wide Web, instant messaging program, or a video call applications. The term refers webcam technology in general, so that said web is sometimes replaced with other words that describe the scene shown on camera, for example StreetCam showing street scene. There is also Metrocam showing panoramic city and countryside, TraffiCam used to monitor road conditions, weather with Weather Cam, even a state with VolcanoCam volcano. Webcam or web camera is a small digital video camera connected to a computer via (usually) a USB port or COM port.
Webcam History
At first, limited forms of web cameras on standard forms which only consists of the lens and the circuit board and the casing of the ordinary. But, along with technological development, any form of web cameras are more varied with the features of increasingly sophisticated. One form of a unique web camera is a funny form of dolls, web cameras can be misinterpreted simply as a puppet and not a webcam. A discovery by Microsoft in 2004 described the progressive development of a web camera technology. This is a two-camera system with a very carefully following the movements of individuals. This camera uses a special calculation algorithms developed to merge what each camera view to create an image of ‘cyclopean’ stereo accurate. This camera can also display floating 3D emoticons. This system can also generate realistic background images so that users can pretend to be somewhere else. The ability of this system, among which is the tracking ability (called smart framing) and also smart focusing capability, could add to the experience for the user conference.
Web camera technology initially received support from the commercial pornography industry. This industry requires the images ‘live’ and ask for building software that can do that without a web browser plugins. This technology gave birth to a live streaming webcam which still exists today. Now this web cameras on the market in general is divided into two types: permanent web cameras (fixed) and the revolving web cameras. On the web there is a permanent camera lens clamp to clamp the standard at the desired position to capture the user. While there is a web camera on a revolving basis and the standard lens is mounted on the runway so it can be adjusted to the best angles to capture the user. The use of web cameras include video conferencing, internet dating, video messaging, home monitoring, sharing images, video interviews, video phone-call, and many other things. Cameras for video conferencing cameras are usually small form that is connected directly with the computer. Analog cameras are also sometimes used, this camera is connected with a video capture card and connect to the Internet (either directly or indirectly). Currently the camera for video conferencing has become more advanced, there is already a web camera in which there is a microphone and noise cancellation to focus the audio to speakers located in front of the camera so that noise does not disturb the existing conference.
How It Works Webcam
A simple web camera consists of a standard lens, mounted on a circuit board to capture the image signal; casing (cover), including the front casing and casing cover next to a standard lens and has a hole in the casing front lens that is useful to insert an image; support cables, made of flexible material, one end connected to the circuit board and another end has a connector, this cable is controlled to adjust the height, direction and angle of view of a web camera. A web camera is usually equipped with software, this software takes the images from digital cameras continuously or in specified time intervals and broadcast through internet connection. There are several methods of broadcasting, the most common method is the software to alter images in JPEG file and upload it to the web server using File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
Frame rate indicates the number of images of a software can capture and transfer in one second. For streaming video, it takes a minimum of 15 frames per second (fps) or ideally 30 fps. To obtain high frame rates, it takes high speed internet connection. A web camera is not necessarily connected with the computer, there are web cameras that have the webcam software and bulit-in web server, so they only need an internet connection. Web cameras like this are called “network cameras”. We can also avoid the use of wires using radio links, Ethernet or WiFi connections.
