Can a camera be a proximity sensor?

[Guilty Baby]

I know it's a really weird question but we have to present a theoretical startup that helps alleviate a social issue.

 

My group was thinking of making a sonar, proximity sensor kind of thing that warns blind people when they are about to hit an obstacle.

 

It will be an app that uses the camera to do that.

 

Is it even possible??

[ShadowCaptain]

SNIP

 

You could use 2 cameras to create a 3d image that works out distances and stuff

 

Or how about one of those laser distance measure instead

[Lord_Karango17]

You might be able to do it with only one camera, but you would need to write software of some sort to read how far away the focal object is based on what focal length the lens is set at (some cameras may have this built in).

 

2 cameras could also be used to make a 3d space as said by shadowcaptain.

[Guilty Baby]

I think the laser idea seems quite feasible (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-130-ft-Laser-Distance-Measurer-DLR130K/202504985).
Two cameras would be quite cumbersome and I think phone cameras reading the distance focal objects might be possible. However, judging by how thin and how hard of a time phone cameras have at focusing I think it'll be really hard to sell.

[LogicalDrm]

As said, camera sensor isn't really build for that and need software for it. I know there are stuff for smart phones which utilize other sensors and amount of light to calculate distances. But you'd need laser for accurate measurements. If you are aiming something like in modern cars, that could even work.

 

As part of said minority (visually impaired) I know that white cane users need most help for locating objects that on head height or vaguely near legs, like ad stands, flower pots etc. even steps. Including both these problem areas to same sensor will be difficult while keeping costs to minimum. I mean the stuff used for accessibility is already pretty darn expensive. Just braille read-out and printers can cost €500+.

[ThomasD]

I suppose it is possible, but not very practical.  Mainly because you are using a highly capable device - the CCD or CMOS - for a very basic function.

 

For your application all you'd really want is a basic proximity/motion detector that was set towards the front of the user.  Pretty much the same sort of system they are now putting into the bumpers of cars.

[bob345]

It's possible,but I don't think it would work as well or be as cheap as typical ultrasonic sensors

[D4RK]

snip

you can do it with 1 camera but it wont be as accurate as 2. and by using 2 cameras you will do way more processing than using a simple ultrasonic,radar or laser device or anything that is close to that.

lets say there is a box in front of you and you are using 2 cameras to know the boundaries of the box, your software has to process the whole image/images just to find the edge points. while with something else you can set a certain grid with some distance between each line and you will end up using less processing power, which mean less expensive device that takes less time to achieve the same task.

[.spider.]

If you use a single camera lateral or vertical movement of the camera is required