Backup cameras and 360 degree for cars

[mscafide]

As I age it gets harder to see around me and use mirrors.

Some new systems are interesting using several cameras on the car or truck or... giving a birdseye view all around the car. Does anybody know more about this stuff that can make recommendations?

Here is one
http://www.rearviewsafety.com/backup-ca ... 77539.html

[njoconnor]

I have no experience with the 360 degree systems, but did install a wireless back up camera on my former 97 Dakota (got tired of smacking the garage door with the trailer hitch). Picked up the camera system at Walmart, took about an hour to wire it into the backup light circuit. Only issue I encountered was very occasional random images from nearby security cameras (the wireless back ups use the same freq as wireless security cameras). The back up camera made lining up trailers and backing into tight spots much easier. The screen unit was about the size of a small GPS, and did occupy dash/windshield space. All of our current "regular" vehicles have factory in-dash systems, which are much clearer and free of the random image issue.

That said, I still find mirrors, correctly aimed, to be more than adequate for straight ahead driving and backing. Since the Spider is top down in 95% of my driving it, I can usually hear, as well as see, cars in my rear quarter. I've considered using the back up camera I have on the Fiat, but there's not a lot of dash/windshield real estate to mount another box (GPS is already there). I did install a passenger side mirror (72's did not have one "standard"), and that works well for backing and blindspot detection.

Buncha bucks for that 360 system, but anything that gets one out in their Spider more often is money well spent, IMO!

Neil

[DieselSpider]

I find the tiny split screens that show the 360 a bit of information overload on some systems and the ethereal 360 virtual view of others more of a distraction. The rear view backup camera on my 2014 Nissan Leaf Electric Car is nice and though its monitor is close to the top of the dash as part of the radio its not where I would want to be looking while driving forward regardless of the speed.

If your far sighted like me they can be moot too since many will need to be wearing their reading glasses for the system to be useful.

I find a few wide angle dots to be more helpful.

[mscafide]

The 360 is not the only view, I believe you can switch to any camera as a single view.

There can also be two additional cameras added to the front that are pointed to the left and right used to pull out into blind cross streets.

It is interesting programming to stitch those views in real time as you drive or park.

[DieselSpider]

Interesting programming indeed speaking as a programmer who has worked with 3d geospatial imaging which requires a lot of cpu and bandwidth at any decent resolution. Not sure if current hardware is really up to the task yet though and a little rain many time defeats it.

[mscafide]

I don't think it's a hardware issue.

The standard backup cameras do a fine job showing you the view in real time. The real job is selecting the parts of the image from four cameras to stitch in a single view. The first video below is the 360 degree view while driving. There is considerable distortion as you view farther away from the camera but the system seems to do the general task well.

The second video shows the considerable effort it takes to callibrate the view. Once set up, the cameras do what cameras do with no special hardware needed.

At least that's how I see this working. I have been working as a programmer and developer since the 70's. That wasn't the plan. While working on a Masters in Physics I had taken enough coursework for a BS in both Math and Computer Science. There was more money in writing code than in research so...

Too much code is written these days that use vast amounts of unneeded resources . Some code is just sloppy. Programmers should all be required to take ar least one numerical methods course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMP0ZNTYafY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGxhgt0Om48

[DieselSpider]

I am not seeing a real time view but a virtual view with a static 3d picture/rendering of the vehicle possibly generated during the calibration process and a 10 or 15 frame stop action view of the surroundings (notice that the wheels don't spin). That to me is all software and graphics processing not just straight camera feeds with overlaps. Made me a bit nauseous watching it but I am fighting a migraine right now. At any speed my concern would be that the gaps and delays could become significant and the omissions lead to a false sense of security.

An interesting beginning but not smooth and polished enough yet for my eyes. Lots of promise once they get the frame rate up and such.

Agree that there is too much sloppy code out there. I hit it all the time finding processes that are written so badly that they take an hour to run however with a little effort can be optimized to run in moments. To much repetitive inline code instead of taking the time to write standard functions to handle those repetitive tasks.