Remote baby-sitting
In anticipation of having a baby, I had purchased two IP Cameras (well, technically, I bought one, and liked it enough to buy another). I had researched baby monitors and the overall feedback I've seen is that dedicated audio+video monitors for babies suck. So instead, I went with a dedicated audio monitor (the one from Philips works great since it uses a different frequency than other wireless equipment). For video monitoring, I decided to use a IP Camera.
The downside of IP Cameras is they cost a little bit more, but they also enable more usage scenarios. Specifically, I bought the Axis 207W based on online reviews. It uses embedded Linux and has a built-in web service. So I just had to hook it up to my network (wired initially) to setup the network settings, then it use it's built in wifi to allow for flexible positioning.
I have one pointed into Mia's Pack'N Play which she sleeps in downstairs during the day and one looking over her crib where she will eventually sleep at night and for naps. The really cool thing is I've setup my IGD (Internet Gateway Device aka Router) to forward requests to the two cameras, so my in-laws can watch her from Japan. But I can also watch her while I'm at work (or on the computer at home).
Someone has already written a Sidebar gadget so I can easily see how she's doing without opening a web browser. I've also written a plugin for Mediacenter so I can watch her on the TV if needed. Overall, I'm quite happy with the IP Camera setup.
Here's a pic of her sleeping in her Pack'N Play:
Here's a pic of Ollie sleeping in Mia's crib:
posted by Steve @ Wednesday, April 09, 2008
2 comments
2 Comments:
that's sweet! I had thought about doing something like that, but we didn't have the funds at the time to pick up the IP camera(s). What's great is that they are pretty portable, so as Mia is growing up and scooting / crawling / walking, her relatives from afar will be able to see that.
do you have any security set up for the video feeds?
oh, the other question I had is how well do they do in low light? I read on the website they are good down to 1 lux, but really, what they say on paper and how they REALLY work can be different.
I was definitely concerned about security and you can setup different user accounts with different roles (permissions). As for low light, it's pretty good although not as good as I had hoped. You can get ones that use infrared LEDs, but again, that costs more money. I have a dimmer installed in her room (instead of a night light) and with a low setting, I can still see her pretty good.
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