But there is a third option: the wireless spy camera. Unlike a classic webcam, a spy camera emails captured images or stores them locally on a memory card, usually after an alarm is triggered by a motion detector or image analysis software. Round Solutions, the M2M communications specialist, now offers all the necessary components to build a fully autonomous spy camera. All that's required is a USB camera of almost any type.
The essential component of the spy camera is the AarLogic C10/3 module. This enables fast image transmission via GPRS using embedded Linux or other components. "Since the module can be programmed as desired—for example, in C—custom surveillance systems can be implemented very quickly," noted Harald Naumann, Technical Director of Round Solutions. The spy camera can be powered either by a power supply or solar cells. To transmit images via email, a SIM card from a compatible provider must be inserted. “Along with the components for the spy camera, we offer free demo software and C source code, which allows you to send the captured photos in JPEG format to any email address,” Naumann explained. “This gives product developers an ideal opportunity to convince their customers of the advantages offered by wireless spy cameras.”
