Definition of Webcam

Introduce:

webcam is a video camera that feeds or streams an image or video in real time to or through a computer network, such as the Internet. Webcams are typically small cameras that sit on a desk, attach to a user's monitor, or are built into the hardware. Webcams can be used during a video chat session involving two or more people, with conversations that include live audio and video.

Webcam software enables users to record a video or stream the video on the Internet. As video streaming over the Internet requires much bandwidth, such streams usually use compressed formats. The maximum resolution of a webcam is also lower than most handheld video cameras, as higher resolutions would be reduced during transmission. The lower resolution enables webcams to be relatively inexpensive compared to most video cameras, but the effect is adequate for video chat sessions.

The term "webcam" (a clipped compound) may also be used in its original sense of a video camera connected to the Web continuously for an indefinite time, rather than for a particular session, generally supplying a view for anyone who visits its web page over the Internet. Some of them, for example, those used as online traffic cameras, are expensive, rugged professional video cameras.

Our company mainly focuses on For computer camera products. 

 

From:

In 1991, the world's first camera (called CoffeeCam) first appeared in the Trojan room coffee pot at the University of Cambridge, UK. As for the longest-running camera, it is the "FogCam" of San Francisco State University, which has been in use since 1994.

In 1996, AXIS Communications published the first camera (IP Camera) using the Internet architecture as the basis for signal transmission.

In 1999, AXIS Communications published a camera (IP Camera) based on the Linux system.

Uses:
video conference
Audiovisual conversational conferencing service used to provide two-way real-time transmission of speech and moving color pictures between multiple users at two or more locations. Large-scale video conferencing systems are widely used in military, government, commerce, medical and other departments.

medical insurance
Most modern webcams are able to capture foot arterial pulse rate by using simple algorithmic tricks (page archive backups, at the Internet Archive) The researchers claim this method is accurate to ±5 bpm.

Video Surveillance
Cameras are installed in nurseries, offices, stores, highways and more to monitor safety and employee activity.

video call
Cameras can perform instant messaging, Internet telephony and other services, and millions of users around the world have conducted one-to-one instant video communication. This new form of communication has many new features, such as automatic lighting control, real-time filters (touch-ups), autofocus, etc., providing users with more ease of use, which further accelerates the popularity of cameras.

game control device
Special software can use the webcam's video stream to assist or enhance the user's control over apps and games. Video features, including faces, shapes, models, and colors, can be observed and tracked to yield corresponding forms of control.

Drive:
USB video device class (UVC) can support all kinds of cameras, so the computer does not need to install redundant drivers. Currently Microsoft Windows Vista, Linux and Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5 all have built-in UVC drivers.

Technology:
A webcam usually includes a housing, a lens, an image sensor, a main control chip, and one or even two microphones for sound.

Conclusion:
Webcams are known for their low manufacturing costs and high flexibility,[4] making them the lowest cost form of videophone. As webcams evolved in tandem with display technology, USB interface speeds and broadband internet speeds, resolutions gradually rose from 320x240 to 640x480, and some now even offer 1280x720 (aka 720p) or 1920x1080 (aka 720p) 1080p) resolution.

Webcams can come with different presets and field of view (FOV). Individual users can use a horizontal FOV of less than 90° for home offices and live broadcasts. Webcams with up to 360° horizontal FOV can be used in small to medium rooms (and sometimes even large ones). Depending on the user's purpose, webcams on the market can show the entire room or just the general vicinity.

Despite the limited cost, the resolutions offered as of 2019 are impressive, with low-end webcams now offering 720p resolution, mid-range webcams offering 1080p resolution, and high-end webcams offering 4K resolution (60 frames per second).

Webcams have become a source of security and privacy concerns because some built-in webcams can be remotely activated by spyware. To solve this problem, many webcams are equipped with physical lens caps.

The uses of webcams include calling or conferencing on a one-on-one, one-to-many or many-to-many basis for personal, business, educational, deaf Video Relay Service and tele-medical, diagnostic and rehabilitative use or services. New services utilizing videocalling and videoconferencing, such as teachers and psychologists conducting online sessions,[56] personal videocalls to inmates incarcerated in penitentiaries, and videoconferencing to resolve airline engineering issues at maintenance facilities, are being created or evolving on an ongoing basis.

                                                                                                                         (Excerpted from Wikipedia Definition of Webcam)

Homepage    Definition of Webcam