Pivot Head Camera

The purpose of this page is to cover the information necessary for the effective use of the pivothead camera as a tool for creating project documentation and instructional material.

Description
The Pivothead is a video camera discreetly incorporated into a pair of sunglasses, as shown in the image to the right. This design makes it very convenient for quick and easy filming, as it is small and does not require hands for operation.

Specifications
In depth specifications can be found here. The device has a camera with fairly good quality, 1080p at 30fps, an integrated microphone, and 8GB of flash memory. It can transfer data to a computer through microUSB using a free desktop app, through which the device settings like video quality, etc can be adjusted.

Where to Get it
University of Idaho students can check a Pivothead camera out from the College of Education Doceo Center at ED 341. This is free of charge, all that is required is a vandalcard and a Uidaho email address. For further information, contact Cassidy Hall

How to use it
The layout of buttons and location of the charging port is shown to the right. The operation of the camera is very simple: one press of the video button starts recording, a second press stops it. Pressing the button to the rear of the video button takes a still picture. In order to get video off of the pivothead or change the video settings, the Pivothead Desktop app (found here) must be downloaded.

Best Practices for Good Quality Results
The Pivothead camera is a useful tool but there are some stipulations on its use. It is worn on the head, so it picks up all the the motion and tilt of the operator's head. For this reason it should not be used while walking if visual stability is desired, as the footage is typically shaky and tilted. It is best suited to situations where the user is either stationary, such as a hand assembly video or an instructional on using a tool or machine, or in a vehicle. An example of this, the hand assembly of an ME 410 block project, can be found here.