subject: Document Camera [print this page] Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2010)
Samsung document camera
Document camera with a gooseneck arm
Document cameras, also known as visual presenters, digital visualizers, ("visualisers" in the United Kingdom) digital overheads, and docucams, are real-time image capture devices for displaying an object to a large audience. They are, in essence, high-resolution web cams, mounted on arms so as to facilitate their placement over a page. This allows a teacher, lecturer or presenter to write on a sheet of paper or to display a two or three-dimensional object while the audience watches.
Document cameras are typically used in classrooms or scientific presentations and connected to video projectors. They replaced overhead projectors, which were formerly used for this purpose. Most document cameras can also send a video signal to a computer via USB cable. More commonly these days document cameras will also be connected to an interactive whiteboard (like a Qomo board, Smartboard, Activboard or other brands)instead of a standard screen.
Many portable document cameras incorporate a flexible gooseneck design for ease of use, and some are capable of high-definition display. High-definition document cameras include an HDMI output port.
Most document cameras can also be supplied with an accessory so that they can be used with a microscope.
According to recent research by Futuresource Consulting over 11k visualisers were sold in UK in 2008 and Futuresource forecasts that over 17k will be sold in 2009. The market is valued at 12 million in 2009 increasing 53% in 2010 to 18 million. 1 in 30 UK school classrooms now have a visualiser that will increase to 1 in 10 by 2010.
As of 2008[update], the most economical document cameras capture XGA resolution images of 1024768 pixels. Document cameras that capture SXGA images capture a resolution of 12801024 which equates to 66% more pixels than XGA images. Higher resolution images contain more (smaller) pixels and provide sharper detail. UXGA is considered high-definition and equates to 19201080 pixels.
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