Build Your Own KiteCam

wally writes "Paul Mutton successfully managed to kill an expensive digital camera taking aerial photos using a kite, parcel tape and some bubble wrap. The geek explains the ups and downs (excuse the pun) of his attempt to take some aerial photographs with a friend using a Casio EX-Z3 digital camera attached to a kite in good ol' Blue Peter style bubble wrap and parcel tape. Paul did however manage to take 2 or 3 pretty photos of Kent University before his precious camera speed to the ground at a speed with enough force to render it quite unusable. Out of bits left intact was the flash card and a 30 second clip leading up to the crash. Remember children: Don't try this at home!"

"30 second clip leading upto the crash"

[stefanlasiewski]

Wait, did you mean the kite or the server?

Blue Peter Style ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Blue Peter [bbc.co.uk] style is stickyback plastic and sellotape, not bubblewrap,
perhaps they should teach more observation skills

You're a good man...

[Anonymous Coward]

I haven't seen the video yet, but judging by the summary, I half expect to catch a glimpse of Charlie Brown on the other end of that string...

kittycam?

[mr.scoot]

On first look, I read that as "Build your own kittycam". I began to wonder what kind of monster image stabilization system you would need to couteract a pissed off bundle of fur and claws spinning at 120rpm.

Re:there's MUCH better work out there.

[snookerdoodle]

Yea, but where's HIS 30 second crash clip? ;-)

Mark

Re:You're a good man...

[platypussrex]

No Charlie Brown visible, but if you do watch the video, and observe this fellow's kite flying "skills", you will quickly see why it crashed.

Did he help out with the Mars Beagle Probe ?

[TheUncleBob]

I see a similarity here - no matter how much you spend on bubble wrap - if you drop it from high enough, it WILL break.

Now He'll Need a Bandwidth Fund Too

[Limecron]

Hmm... 3Mb AVI * 100k Downloads = Uhoh (Not to mention the page views.)

I hope his ISP doesn't charge too much. :)

I can just see the net loss of this whole endeavor sky rocketing further. I hope it wasn't his "friend" who submitted this one.

SlashCam

[Konster]

I have invented the SlashCam, an open source project that acts as a plug-in to Slashdot that allows the viewers to see (in real time!)your server go down in flames seconds after an article containing your address is posted!

http://sourceforge.net/projects/microsoft/iis/sl as hcam

Re:Blue Peter Style ?

[Basehart]

Actually, for projects requiring a layer of padding they always suggested using a wig to put between the stickyback plastic and the object, after asking a parent or grandparent for permission first of course.

Oh, how we would laugh when granny would go off to the shops wearing our latest project on her head because she couldn't get the stickyback plastic off.

Re:kittycam?

[Anonymous Coward]

what kind of monster image stabilization system you would need

Do a search on Steadycat.

Fate of Payload Inversely Proportional to Cost

[Rob Carr]

"Paul Mutton successfully managed to kill an expensive digital camera taking aerial photos using a kite, parcel tape and some bubble wrap."

High Power Rocketry folks [tripoli.org] have known for years that the probability of a successful flight is inversely proportional to the cost of the payload divided by the average cost of payloads being flown. For many years, expensive video cameras ensured failure.

It's only been through the addition of multiple onboard altimeters, accelerometers, computers, amateur radio transmitters, GPS units, rocket locators, and other horrendously expensive gizmos that lone video cameras are now fairly easy to fly.

BTW: There's a fun traditions if you are launching an on-board computer running Windows. If the flight fails, you call Microsoft Support and report that your computer crashed.

Of course, if you were running Linux, maybe it wouldn't have crashed....

Re:camera fund

[Anonymous Coward]

I do mean to be a dick

You succeeded. Remember that feeling, it won't happen often.

pfffft

[Timesprout]

A real nerd would build and launch his own satellite camera rig. Then when it crashed he would launch a global appeal fund to rebuild downtown LA.

Re:beggar

[WhatAmIDoingHere]

Pushers: Spammers
Pimps: Porn sites
Prostitutes: Camwhores
Insane Asylum Throwouts: IRC
People Pushing Shopping Carts: Amazon.com
Gangsters and Drive by Shooters: gangwars.com
Drunks and Potheads: IRC again
Cokeheads and other General Scum: Working for Microsoft

Re:beggar

[Lehk228]

crackheads: www.sco.com

Re:camera fund

[anon*127.0.0.1]

Later on today, I'm going to buy an expensive video camera, wrap it in a little duct tape and bubble wrap, the throw it out of the tallest building I can find. I should get some REALLY cool pictures on the way down. Not to mention the impressive crash footage.

I doubt anything bad will happen, but just in case... I'll have my PayPal link set up and ready.