Two-way helmet cam project looking for funding
Specta Technologies, a company headed by Olympic cyclist Josiah Ng, is looking for $200K of Kickstarter funding for their first project, a two-way helmet cam.
The Spectacam is being touted as the world's first helmet camera that can film in two directions simultaneously. The main idea behind it is to give cycle commuters more post-incident security in case they have a run in with a driver.
But it can also be used in different contexts. For example, Ng found it helpful to analyse his training and it could be used, in conjunction with a smartphone, as a handlebar-mounted rear vision mirror. Like any action cam, it's applicable to other outdoor activities such as climbing, snowboarding, motorsports and running.
Specta Technologies have built a working prototype of the Spectacam with a view to making full production versions by mid-2013. The unit consists of two 1080p cameras, both WiFi enabled so they can be operated remotely via a smartphone app.
Battery life is claimed to be three hours and Specta want the unit to be water resistant to an IP67 rating. The aim is to keep things light, so it uses a micro SD card and internal mic for a claimed weight of 60g. It attaches to your helmet using a velcro or 3M adhesive mount.
The camera is being developed in Australia and will be manufactured in China or Taiwan, but Specta are targeting North America as their main market. At this stage, they want US$200,000 in Kickstarter funding by December 18, 2012, with all those who pledge $199 or more receiving a camera in May/June 2013.
Ng told BikeRadar that the Spectacam has a target retail price of US$350 with a delivery date of September 2013.
For more information visit the Spectacam website.
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The Spectacam can be operated remotely via a smartphone app
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