Creating motion-sensitive headset

[machineman9]

Okay, It is all wired correctly and the circuit is working too... my problem is that the LEDs are lighting and are not showing on FreeTrack nor on digital cameras which are seeing other IR signals.

Any suggestions? The circuit should be fine...

[JSpahn]

Maybe you should try focusing the beam from the led by making a cone around it. Just a thought, honestly I wouldn't know unless I tried this :-?

[machineman9]

Maybe you should try focusing the beam from the led by making a cone around it. Just a thought, honestly I wouldn't know unless I tried this :-?

Strap black rubbery tape around it? Can try...

[BuggsK100RS]

You would be better using some aluminium tape as its fully reflective on both sides.  I sued it on a lighting kit on my RC stock are and it made a HUGE difference to the amount of light being reflected out the holes in the body shell  

[machineman9]

Hmm, well my father and I are having doubts in the LEDs themselves...

Arent IR LEDs usually clear? These are purple (UV ones or something maybe?) despite saying on the list that they are IR...

No IR whatsoever is coming out from them- so have I been ripped off?

[J.]

the IR LED's i looked at where either blue, purple or clear plastic casings, i dont think it makes that much differance really mate on the casing color.

I completed the temporary construction of my Free-Track headset yesterday



all up and working and all held together with Black electrical tape

didnt want to start soldering until i new it would work

J

[BuggsK100RS]

If you going to sit and use that thing just make sure that nobody can see you as i think that thay would worry that you where trying to turn your self in to a Borg from Start trek  ;D

[machineman9]

Well J... you have pretty much the same heaphones as me, and the exact same layout. Looks good.

Buggs... Well they are arent that noticeable, and i celotaped the wires down so it doesnt look as wierd. My parents know about my scheme and as of all the wierd things ive done before, they just accept it  ;D


Time to try and check what the problem is.

[machineman9]

Okay. So for some reason using a 9V battery on one of the LEDs makes it light up. It turns out the wiring wasnt quite right, but still, it doesnt light up.

Any thoughts? That test is running a 9V battery directly through one of the LEDs legs.

I am really rather confused. All the wiring should be fine. The resistor is between the + USB wire and the + side of the circuit. All the - legs of the LEDs are on the other side. I cant seem to find a circuit tester anywhere so I am stuck on where the problem lies.

okay, seems fixed.

When I am about 20cm from the webcam, the LEDs show up, but any further they arent really visible. Also, what are good camera settings for the set up so that only the LEDs show up?

[J.]

weird problem that. you hav'nt accidentaly got a resistor that is way to big have you???

get a multi meter and test the circuit one made to check for faults.

My LED's are not very bright so i either need a smaller resitor, bigger LED's or both. i mite try running it without a resistor, see what happens. if they blow its only

[machineman9]

Well, do remember that if you put too much through, then it could damage your computer aswell.


The LEDS arent lighting atall now. Bloody things.

[J.]

best aircraft to use with free track has got to be the FSX:Acceleration F18 just awesome!!!!!!

low and slow still wins generally though

[newberiffic]

I did a little experimenting last weekend with freetrack and a night vision security cam I had laying around (the el cheapo kind) very low resolution. well I found that you don't need  to mess with a filter or solderind led's or anything, just turn the brightness and contrast all the way down on the settings and make the tracker hat clip ( exactly like the track ir one's ) using some plastic and reflector security tape from menards or lowes for 3 bucks.  and OMG you dont need led's or batteries. it seems to only see the tape !!

( I have to add that I was using in a pretty dark room )

beats spending the coin on a track ir for sure! Now if only I can get my projecor set up tonight... I may not get any sleep.

[machineman9]

Thanks for the tip.

In product design tech my friend is making one which is going to be much like a pair of glasses with the LEDs attached. I am going to ask if he will make me one for keeps...

My one is completely messed up and I could do with getting larger LEDs and fixing whatever went wrong.

[HarvesteR]

i've had a go with freetrack here, and i can say it works very well...

i didn't use IR leds or anything fancy... since it is webcam based tracking, it'll track pretty much any luminous spot you attach to your head

so i got hold of a little LED nightlight and stuck it between my head and my headset, with a paperclip to hold the button so it would stay on... then i turned on freetrack and there it was

well, it was a simple one-point tracking setup, which doesn't give you much movement freedom (only X an Y rotation actually), but it did work ok

it just demonstrated that you can have pretty much any kind of LED hooked up and the camera will pick it up

i also tried shining a remote control if front of the camera and it did pick up the light point

my camera is a MS LifeCam VX1000 and it worked ok tracking at 24FPS...

Cheers

HarvesteR