Live helmet cam video for crane operator or for climber training

Scottyfpv

Scottyfpv

Location
Nevada County, CA
Hi all, noob here :hola:,

I'm fairly new to climbing but I noticed the crane operator doesn't always have the best visual of what's going on in the tree. This sparked an idea using FPV drone gear for crane work or for training new climbers.

The climber could wear a very tiny FPV camera, video transmitter and battery that could be picked up on a video receiver/monitor that was given to the crane operator before the start of the job or for the trainer on the ground.

There are lots of options for a standard definition analog helmet cam. There are cheap, tiny and straight forward AIO (all in one) units that would just need a battery. Or, a slightly larger cam with separate transmitters that have better camera quality( some require soldering some don't), where the transmitter could have audio (out) and a onboard DVR.

There are also newer HD digital camera/transmitter units that have better and cleaner video quality and onboard DVR's but cost quite a bit more and would need a digital receiver/monitor.

For standard def analog monitors, some have power in, audio out and DVR capabilities. The crane operator could record the job but the video quality in the DVR wont be as good as the monitor quality and the monitor quality wont be as good as helmet cam DVR quality before transmission. Goggles(like VR goggles but with a video receiver) are another monitor option for the trainer and would give a more immersive experience and they wouldn't have to deal with glare or back lighting.

Monitors run $40-100 and some have built in batteries and some don't, AIO cams are around $20 plus a battery. Separate cam and transmitter unit would run around $40-80 plus a battery. Camera and transmitter operating voltages depends on the parts used but are between 3.3v-25volts so battery size, milliamps and price varies.

I was thinking about selling a ready to go setup but for the savvy it's super easy to make your own. Hardest part would probably be the mounting system. There are replacement plastic canopies from various small prebuilt drones that are sold that could be adopted for this purpose. BetaFPV has a few different size canopies that mount different size cameras and transmitter mounting sizes that would provide some protection. Hot glue and double sided tape also works but most likely would get knocked off or damaged.

Let me know if you have any questions or need some help, I'm not up to speed on the digital equipment as I use standard analog video in all my quads/quadcopters(drones) and goggles.

I usually purchase from Racedayquads or GetFPV but Amazon has most of the gear also.

Scott
 

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You might be onto something here. I saw somewhere log loading trucks where they remote camera-ed the loading arm so the operator stayed in the cab safe and out of the weather. An issue might be where to take the view from as eye hand co-ordination is the main skill of a crane op and messing with that might be touchy.
 
Yeah, on the ball of the crane would be nice too, could just hot glue it to a magnet.... One could have multiple units all on different channels also.


About the monitor, there is no Audio (out) to the climber, I just meant there are head phone jacks.
 
ScottBfpv said:
Yeah, on the ball of the crane would be nice too, could just hot glue it to a magnet.... One could have multiple units all on different channels also.


About the monitor, there is no Audio (out) to the climber, I just meant there are head phone jacks.
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There are some cranes with cameras mounted on the boom already, I could see that as helpful in some ways, but I would prefer to operate where the crane operator and climber work together, in the traditional fashion. I see it as too difficult to make accurate judgements from a video, I would not trust rigging or cutting from a video screen.
 
Steve Connally said:
I get asked about a camera all the time. I feel like you loose the big picture, spacial awareness, and depth perception. Pretty popular with the steel erection folks. Lots of hook cams on the market but for what we do, IMHO having total awareness is critical.
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I know a guy who owns a large food warehouse, his high reach forklifts have cameras on the forks. When the pallet racks are stacked 48’ high, and two pallets deep, I’m sure the camera is nice. And a pallet can be easily viewed in two dimensions. A tree, not so much.

I’m with you completely there, I can see using one with steel, to get close when you’re setting something, but I couldn’t imagine trying to lift something odd like a tree that I could only see on a little screen.
 
I don't have a late night Waffle House patron in this fight, but I think having the crane operator see what the climber sees is interesting, maybe more so than a view from the headache ball. Providing the crane operator with a good view of the rigging and cutting progress might be more informative than a verbal description via comms when the direct view is poor. Not a substitute for good communication and not something the crane operator should be distracted by during critical periods. I think the crane operator should not rely on what he sees, or thinks he sees, to perform an action without confirmation from the climber. When compared to the cost of a crane, seems like the camera/monitor setup would be cost effective even with only a small benefit.
 
Devil's advocate - could splitting the crane op's attention away from his normal real time viewing (i.e. watching the climber make the cut) take away his awareness of the big picture?
 
Bart_ said:
Devil's advocate - could splitting the crane op's attention away from his normal real time viewing (i.e. watching the climber make the cut) take away his awareness of the big picture?
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In my opinion, it could. I feel like a crane operator already has enough to do. Also, I have concerns that doing something like this would give the same effect as backup cameras on cars, where people have largely learned to depend on the camera as a primary source of information when going backwards, rather than depending on their mirrors and turning their heads. These cameras don’t see everything, but people today seem to often treat them like they do.
 
ScottBfpv said:
When backing up I can get a trailer hitch right over the top of a tow ball, I find that super handy.
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Yes, the new pickup I got last year has one, it’s great for hooking trailers. That’s all I use it for though, I will not use it for backing up otherwise. I especially dislike it at night, it’s so bright I can’t see anything in my mirrors, so I cover it up so I can see to go backwards.
 
The crane op sometimes picks blnd. Thats ok. The climber is the rigger, the crane op pulls the levers. If the climber is uncomfortable rigging the load without the input of the operator they should not perform the rig or maybe rig it and the crane operator can leave the cab to go take a look at what's going on. The distance perspective is what the climber needs and the operator provides. Neither will get that through a camera on the ball or boom. Its 2 dimensional. I'm not saying there isn't an application for this as an addition to using the 3 dimensional vision. In our world I contend its a negligible improvement and could negatively effect perspective. I'm pretty sure the OP asked for opinions on this in the initial thread. maybe I'm mistaken.
 
Oh yea that thing is sweet. It looks really helpful.

For 15k I would expect it to have a zoom function actuated by a finger toggle.

So yea you can build one of these for under $100 bucks. Or multiple ones. There are a few different lens u can pick from also from around 100-170 deg. field of view.
 
I have done one crane job where the crane had a camera on the end of the stick. It was nice for him to be able to get center, or close to, over where my next pick was going to be. Although, it is easy enough for me to direct him where he needs to be. Fortunately that was the only thing he used it for. We had an understanding that he was to listen to what I needed him to do rather than watch the camera and decide for himself. I could see very bad things happen if they rely on the camera as there could easily be a heavy limb out of frame that could cause a pick to go 180* opposite of what the operator thought.
It could be a nice option to double check a situation if a seasoned operator is working with a “new to crane work” climber.
Personally I prefer to just chat with the operator over comms.
 
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