Helmet Cameras...

[Motley]

Just been watching the rollout of the F60 on youtube, there's some great footage from a camera on Massa's helmet.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btasp0qMJ44[/youtube]

Watching him get into the car and rolling out of the pit lane (0:53), I couldn't see anything obvious stuck onto the top of his helmet. So did they mount a camera into his helmet just above the visor? The heavy vignette suggests that the camera is very small...

I have a couple of questions:

Is this something that the FOM have pushed for next year's TV coverage??

Considering how many wires are already connected to a driver's helmet, and provided it didn't create any aerodynamic disadvantage; how hard would it be to have a tiny camera permenatly mounted in there??

I know DC wore one in Brazil '08, but I think it was mounted below the visor and so the view out of the cockpit wasn't great, and I've seen the footage of Kovalainen in the Renault and Kubica, but neither look as good as the Ferrari video...

[MattF1]

You can see the helmet camera here!

[Motley]

Ah, Video editing, curse them....

Anyway....

[Jersey Tom]

Now here's the interesting thing...

Well first, I think the helmet cam ROCKS. I want to see that on TV!

But, it looks like they have a camera mount to the side of the air intake, not just above (similar to the old onboard footage). If they use that, I'll be very happy.

[Conceptual]

This should fit inside the helmet, no?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=2899726

I believe some of the spy-surveillance stuff is into the HD resolutions as well...

Odd that they would opt for that huge surface mount module when this technology is readily available...

[MattF1]

This should fit inside the helmet, no?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=2899726

I believe some of the spy-surveillance stuff is into the HD resolutions as well...

Odd that they would opt for that huge surface mount module when this technology is readily available...

Probably easier to tape one to the top of his head for one lap than re-design a whole custom helmet for it.

[roost89]

This should fit inside the helmet, no?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=2899726

I believe some of the spy-surveillance stuff is into the HD resolutions as well...

Odd that they would opt for that huge surface mount module when this technology is readily available...

Probably easier to tape one to the top of his head for one lap than re-design a whole custom helmet for it.

The video quality on those is really poor and they look quite large, well the chip does. It doesn't give you actual dimensions so I suspect it's going to be bigger than they want you to think

[Scotracer]

[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rOUJS3F-5XY[/youtube]

If they could do it in Champ car many years ago, they can do it in F1.

[tk421]

David Coulthard ran a helmet cam during one the races last year, I believe it was Brazil. His was, I think, on the side of his helmet, not on top like the great footage of Massa at Mugello. I can't wait until they work on these cameras: maybe make them smaller and fit them better to the helmet, because the shots they provide are terrific. As Jersey said, some cars (notably the MP4-23 last year) had their cameras on the side of the engine cover, slightly above and aft of the drivers head which provided great shots. But with the helmet cam you get the tilting action of the head while cornering, and even the drivers checking their mirrors like Massa does at the beginning of that video--although, there was no one else on track. Force of habit!

[MattF1]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=R1Kcht2Zeuk

The camera was mounted below his visor.

[roost89]

If they could do it in Champ car many years ago, they can do it in F1.

Holy mackerel! That's inside the helmet!!
Very nice shots!

[Conceptual]

This should fit inside the helmet, no?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=2899726

I believe some of the spy-surveillance stuff is into the HD resolutions as well...

Odd that they would opt for that huge surface mount module when this technology is readily available...

Probably easier to tape one to the top of his head for one lap than re-design a whole custom helmet for it.

The video quality on those is really poor and they look quite large, well the chip does. It doesn't give you actual dimensions so I suspect it's going to be bigger than they want you to think

If cell phones can do HD video conferencing, I think that the technology is small enough for helmet cams...

And Scotracer...

Why would it need an entire re-design? Is there seriously not one single helmet manufacturer in the world that has adopted a camera into one of their line?

If they haven't, I would seriously consider that a complete failure of vision on the part of every helmet manufacturer in the world. What race helmet could NOT benefit from a micro sized HD camera? Hell, it should be part of the data recorder if nothing else....

[timbo]

I've already posted those
Look at this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCsiXvn50d8
and this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV3MsIPKCqg
and this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZbJUkRziWA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV3MsIPKCqg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B3VxsW7LkQ

However that Champ car footage is nice (on the wrong side though, I'd like to see his right hand changing gears).