Has anyone used a small video camera or flexible fiber optic lense to inspect small (e.g. narrow slit trench) or hidden (e.g. interior cavity) spaces?

Examples are the little devices dentists use now instead of a mirror; borescopes; pipeline cameras; the little flexible lenses the spys and swat teams use in the movies (you know peak under the door).

Sources? Prices? Experiences? Technologies?

Reply to post by Scott Cullen, on February 27, 2000 at 07:51:31:

Well the dental devices seem to be $2,000 and up, but most are digital for computer storage and printing.

The ProVision 100 is around $200, runs on two AA batteries, self illuminated, fiber optic. See http://www.usalight.com/provision.html and also Tool Crib of the North catalog. No indication if it's got any type of camera or video adapter.

Reply to post by Scott, on February 27, 2000 at 07:51:31:

Must be a small CCD/Lens assembly that could be easily adapted and rugged enough. They put the little things in football helmets, FCOL. Just a get a simple Web Cam type device, and wire it to your laptop. Add some kind of flexible rod and you're ready to go.

Reply to post by Russ Carlson, on March 01, 2000 at 19:14:14:

1. The ProVision 100 does not seem to be electronic at all. It appears to be straight optical, fiber-optic set up to transmit light from a battery source down the fiber to illuminate the subject and back up to eyepiece for viewing. Another feature is focusability.

2. The WebCam is a great idea. The focus issue might or might not be a problem and it might need a light source. But could be assembled from largely off the shelf components.

You probably won't sleep nights now till you figure out how to link it to your Palm IIx.

Reply to post by Scott, on March 02, 2000 at 22:47:21:

Palm IIIc- with color screen. How else you gonna tell scale from lenticels?

Reply to post by Russ Carlson, on March 03, 2000 at 06:24:20:

Well, even in B&W I guess you could make some judgments about uniformity of shape and distribution. But either way, you're still limited to visual judgment. So you really should work towards linking the tricorder to the Palm... that device gives you the entire range of data: pheremones and other volatile chemicals; electrical resonance patterns; spectrographic profile; the usual physical characteristics of density, specific gravity and so forth; and the newer ones can be loaded with species specific genome data.

Peace and long life...

Reply to post by Scott Cullen, on February 27, 2000 at 07:51:31:

Scott, I checked with our SWAT team about their cameras. $8,000.00. I got to thinking, I could buy a couple of these and place them in the cavity of trees to catch unlicensed tree hackers.
Seriously, in talking with SWAT, there is some conversation about using the fiber optic system that sewer companies use to go deep down. This might make more sense as it comes with a light and appears to be more stable in "rooting through all the stuff you might find in a hollow.

Reply to post by Bill Cassel, on February 27, 2000 at 07:51:31:


What is SWAT? Swing Wildly At Trees?

Reply to post by bobw, on March 08, 2000 at 11:39:54:

Bob,

I thought it was "Silly Wulkie At Times"

Mark

PS Perhaps "Some Weird Aussie Trimmer"

Reply to post by Scott Cullen, on February 27, 2000 at 07:51:31:

I've encountered some references to Mattheck's use of a device referred to as an Endoscope. Apparently a follow on from Resistograph and Fractometer. I know what that means in medical usage, I assume it's similar. But I don't find references in any of the Mattheck literature I have. Anybody seen the literature or know if it's a commercially available device (apart from $$$$ medical)?

Reply to post by Scott, on February 27, 2000 at 07:51:31:

Check out this Medical Supply site- http://www.hospeq.com/used.htm

They have used colonoscopes.

Reply to post by Scott Cullen, on February 27, 2000 at 07:51:31:

Scott,

See the site at the attached URL. University of Georgia using tiny cameras to inspect roots.

http://www.forestry.uga.edu/warnell/research/cameras.html