Mobotix AG recently introduced a camera integration set for industry.
The M10-DevKit (Developer Integration Kit) now makes it possible to
install the camera technology produced by the manufacturer based in
Kaiserslautern, Germany, in industrial systems or production machine
lines. Then, connected via Ethernet, ISDN or GSM (Global System for
Mobile Communications), the camera can take over important maintenance
and diagnosis tasks. The M10-DevKit consists of two camera modules that
are connected to the camera's motherboard by flat cables up to one meter
(three feet) in length. The modules are equipped with mega-pixel sensors
(1280 x 960 pixel resolution) and can also be outfitted with a number of
different lenses.

The M10-DevKit can be installed, for example, in the arms of forklift
trucks to provide a bird's-eye view of available storage space. Thanks
to its integrated interfaces, the M10-DevKit is also able to do
maintenance work on machines and systems. The integration set software
supports both camera modules either as separate cameras, as
tele/wide-angle lenses or as a day/night camera with automatic switching
between color and infrared or a black-and-white sensor. This makes it
possible to easily adapt the M10-DevKit to different environmental
conditions. Thanks to the so-called optics and digital zoom,
the camera system can also be used to monitor very wide areas. The mouse
can be used to select and enlarge individual image segments.

Low maintenance and easy operation

Since the CMOS mega-pixel sensors of the M10-DevKit do not require an
iris, the camera system functions without any moving parts, making it
virtually maintenance-free. Using a standard web browser and without any
additional software installation, the user can administrate the system
via the network or ISDN and retrieve live or recorded images.

The camera software included in the M10-DevKit corresponds to the
standard Mobotix M10 camera. This means that the camera can forward
alarms via e-mail, text-messaging, telephone call or TCP/IP message,
which can also be retrieved by a PDA. Events that trigger such alarms
can be activated by signal input, motion detection in the image, the
passive infrared sensor or a microphone. An integrated software recorder
can record the camera images on the internal memory of 64 megabytes
(4000 images). Alternatively, it is also possible to record long term
via the network on a PC or a server. And the camera takes care of
managing the database, without any additional software.

The M10-DevKit is also equipped with the standard functions of the
Mobotix cameras, including video sensors, a video-management system,
multi-view display and audio connections via IP and ISDN. Power is
supplied via the data cable and is also available via an ISDN-NTBA.