Overcoming difficulties inherent in a precision project
How did your collaboration with Nikon go?
Camera set-up and configuration for the multi-angle image capturing system was carried out by Kao, as there was no discussion at all of the overall concept of a multi-angle image capturing system when the order was placed. Nikon wrote the software for us, and this was in response to an outline request for a system in which 20 cameras take photographs simultaneously and the data is transmitted to a computer and displayed. Even the development of the final user interface went ahead based on an outline specification, with consultation as required. As the system is used for product development, there were aspects that had to remain confidential.
With a single click of the shutter, file names are set for the data for the 21 photographs that allow the position of the relevant camera to be identified and include a time stamp, and the data is placed in a single folder. Details such as the specifications for these operations and the layout of the operations screen were not decided until the end.* In addition, we made a number of additional requests to Nikon. For example, since batteries were unnecessary, we asked Nikon to remove them (in order to reduce the weight load on the equipment scaffold), and we asked Nikon to add another camera (to photograph the photographic conditions).
We knew nothing about how cameras work, but when we conducted a trial using one camera, we realized how convenient digital photography is. We believed that when it came to photography from multiple angles, it was probably theoretically possible to trigger the cameras simultaneously and to control the process using a program. We were also confident that Nikon would be up to the task. I had never been that interested in photography and cameras; however, in the course of the project, I developed a passion for them, and came to want a digital SLR camera for myself (laughs).
- *Nikon was probably able to imagine what type of system it was building, even if it did not understand it in detail. A few lights might come on for those at Nikon involved in the project when they read this (laughs). Usually, when Nikon is entrusted with development, it will understand the customer's aims and occasionally make suggestions. On this occasion, however, the Nikon people faithfully devoted themselves to executing Kao's wishes.
What particular difficulties arose in the design and development of the system?
The difficult part is the experimentation with the equipment, which is essential for acquisition of accurate data. First, we construct equipment to simply check the cameras, and repeatedly check all 20 cameras for errors using the same subject under the same lighting conditions. Here also, Nikon has proved to have been a wise choice. The uniform quality of the cameras is of great benefit. We had been worried about what we should do if we received an item that differed from our request guidelines. Even returning items to Nikon is absolutely no problem—provided we have been using them in the normal fashion (laughs).
For the light used as the light sources, each individual item is inspected before installation and the actual environment is inspected after installation. The thorough operational planning can be seen in details such as the alignment mechanism that uses a laser pointer attached to a strobe shoe and the redundancy in the USB cabling.
In contrast, we threw away about half the lights that were supplied for lighting. We are using halogen lamps that have a color temperature similar to that of sunlight, because we are considering the possibility of using a different light (with a particularly long wavelength characteristic) in future and are trying out mass-market products. In this case too, we are building special equipment, using a spectrometer to check the wavelength characteristics of the lights one by one, and then individually checking them again after installing them in the multi-angle image capturing system. This is because voltage characteristics change with differences in wiring lengths; however, even after adjustments are made to change the voltage of the lighting equipment, there are still some lights whose characteristic values differ from the average values.
At the outset I had no detailed knowledge of electronics or optics—my specialty being powder technology. Thus, although discussions proceeded smoothly during the origination of the project and design stage, actually putting it into practice was hard for me. With optics, we should be able to make estimates based on theory; however, it had never occurred to me that when you actually try to position the lights, electrical values will differ from those observed in prior checks, as a result of phenomena such as voltage drops due to the effect of factors such as cable length and wiring. This seems obvious in hindsight—however, I was really learning on the job.
It would have been easier to assign the troublesome work of precisely adjusting the cameras and the lighting to someone else. However, cost was a factor. Even more importantly, actually doing it myself also had the advantage that I could get a real understanding and feeling for the level of precision that was possible.