Frankencamera: Linux-Based Digital Camera from Stanford
The goal of a group of photo researchers and developers at Stanford University is to build a camera that runs on Linux and whose open source software is programmable down to the lowest hardware level.
The Stanford University News site features a report from professor Marc Levoy's team on the first functioning version of the Camera 2.0. The built-in software allows programmers to set details such as focus, exposure and shutter speed independently of manufacturer limitations and make significantly better use of the camera hardware.
A demo video on the website shows an example of shifting the dynamic range algorithm in the camera software with considerable improvement to the original photo. The device can automatically sense lighting imbalances on both sides of the frame and automatically compensate for them. Numerous other features are planned to be communicated in the computer or automatically from Web photo services.
The so-called Frankencamera is not just a hideous monster cobbled together from spare parts. If all goes well, it should become a lucrative platform for interested photographers and developers. It combines a system-on-a-chip from Texas Instruments running Linux with a small LCD screen, an imaging chip borrowed from the Nokia N95 smartphone and standard Canon lenses. The team has support from firms such as Nokia, Adobe, Kodak, HP and Walt Disney. Levoy hopes to produce the devices for under $1,000 in a year's time and provide them at cost to colleagues and students at other universities.
Further details on the Camera 2.0 are on the Stanford project webpage.
Issue 270/2023
Buy this issue as a PDF
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Find SysAdmin Jobs
News
-
OpenMandriva Lx 23.03 Rolling Release is Now Available
OpenMandriva "ROME" is the latest point update for the rolling release Linux distribution and offers the latest updates for a number of important applications and tools.
-
CarbonOS: A New Linux Distro with a Focus on User Experience
CarbonOS is a brand new, built-from-scratch Linux distribution that uses the Gnome desktop and has a special feature that makes it appealing to all types of users.
-
Kubuntu Focus Announces XE Gen 2 Linux Laptop
Another Kubuntu-based laptop has arrived to be your next ultra-portable powerhouse with a Linux heart.
-
MNT Seeks Financial Backing for New Seven-Inch Linux Laptop
MNT Pocket Reform is a tiny laptop that is modular, upgradable, recyclable, reusable, and ships with Debian Linux.
-
Ubuntu Flatpak Remix Adds Flatpak Support Preinstalled
If you're looking for a version of Ubuntu that includes Flatpak support out of the box, there's one clear option.
-
Gnome 44 Release Candidate Now Available
The Gnome 44 release candidate has officially arrived and adds a few changes into the mix.
-
Flathub Vying to Become the Standard Linux App Store
If the Flathub team has any say in the matter, their product will become the default tool for installing Linux apps in 2023.
-
Debian 12 to Ship with KDE Plasma 5.27
The Debian development team has shifted to the latest version of KDE for their testing branch.
-
Planet Computers Launches ARM-based Linux Desktop PCs
The firm that originally released a line of mobile keyboards has taken a different direction and has developed a new line of out-of-the-box mini Linux desktop computers.
-
Ubuntu No Longer Shipping with Flatpak
In a move that probably won’t come as a shock to many, Ubuntu and all of its official spins will no longer ship with Flatpak installed.