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I'm working on an application that would, ideally, connect to a small, external camera/webcam.

Specific requirements include: * Must be able to stream a preview of the video and take a picture * directly connecting is a must, so WiFi enabled is out. So presumably that leaves Bluetooth and USB? * KitKat api is available, and I'm still not sure which tablet will provide the best results.. * the camera will be small/moveable * priced affordably: the solutions for controlling DSLR cameras are also probably out.

Previous research: https://github.com/openxc/android-webcam This was the first open source solution to show up, but I have yet to see an implementation using this in the wild, and the code doesn't seem active was last updated in 2013..

IP webcams: This seems to be the "go to" solution with the most support, unfortunately it requires a WiFi connection which may or may not exist when it comes time to use this feature of the application.

So now the question: How can I use my android tablet to control an external camera? Is there a proven api or library that someone can recommend?

steve-gregory
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  • Your problem with wifi- you don't have an issue with USB or Bluetooth, so obviously the device is close by. Why not put the android device into wifi hotspot mode, and put a password on it? Why is connecting a requirement? You can turn off the data plan and it wouldn't have any internet connection so it would be totally secure. – Gabe Sechan Jun 27 '14 at 02:34
  • I considered the Wi-Fi hotspot idea initially, but it is too technical for the end user of the application to ensure Wi-Fi hotspot is properly configured. I read somewhere on the forms here that bluetooth works nearly out of box, but of course there was no code to support the claim. – steve-gregory Jun 27 '14 at 02:37
  • Gabe: after doing more research on ip cameras it may work, but would it be possible to use wifi hotspot locally, connect the ip webcam to the local hotspot, and then tap into that feed for use in my application, snapping a photo from the stream? – steve-gregory Jun 27 '14 at 03:05
  • I was able to attach a webcam to my tablet through usb using the information at this site: http://droidperception.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/webcam-attached-to-nexus-7/ – todd Jun 27 '14 at 03:07
  • Todd: thanks for the link, looking at the source it states: USB WebCam is UVC camera, and it supports 640x480 resolution with YUYV format. Is this size acceptable as far as image quality? It seems like the image produced would be of poor quality. What were your results like? – steve-gregory Jun 27 '14 at 03:46

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