The webcam is an AXIS 2400 Video Server, which allows a camera in the ceiling of the D-Cog and HCI Lab conference room to be controlled from the web. This setup provides a unique perspective on events happening in the conference room. From the web application the camera can be panned, titled and zoomed in order to view different parts of the room or focus closely on particular locations.

Picture: The webcam website; the camera is showing items on the conference room table.

Video and audio recording capabilities have been set up in the conference room as well. Recordings of activities in the conference room can thus be made utilizing the unique perspective and capabilities of the webcam. For example, the webcam recording setup has been used to study annotation during active reading. The camera was perfect for unobtrusively capturing close shots of the subjects' annotations.

Before using the webcam
Make sure the ceiling camera in the conference room is on. (The light switch between CRB 100A and 100B turns the camera on and off. On is the up position.)

The webcam website

1. Go to the webcam website http://hci.ucsd.edu/camera/.
   The webcam homepage will welcome you to the lab AXIS 2400 Video Server. You can view the camera feedback from the welcome page, but in order to pan, tilt or zoom the camera you must enter the "Demo" area.

2. Click on the "Demo" button on the left side of the "Welcome" page.
   You will be prompted for a password. Enter the username and password. (If you do not know it you must contact to Ron Stanonik.)
   The "Demo" page has multiple options:
   • "Quad"
   • "PTZ": Click on this button to go to the page from which you can pan, tilt and zoom the webcam.
   • "Video"
   • "Image"

3. Click on the "PTZ" button from the "Demo" page.
   You can now pan, tilt or zoom the webcam to view different areas of the conference room.

4. When you are finished close the web browser window or go to a different webpage. There is no logout function.

The video and audio recording equipment must be operated from the computer room adjacent to the conference room (behind the Smart Board). Therefore, the following instructions refer to equipment in that room, unless otherwise noted.

Recording is presently done on VHS tapes. Make sure you have enough tapes for your recording activities.

Audio is captured via a microphone in the middle of the conference table.

1. Log on to Pipeline running Linux.

2. Start a web browser and connect to the "PTZ" page of the webcam website, following steps (1) - (3) from above.

3. Turn on the television and VCR next to the computer. Make sure the audio and video cables coming from the conference room into the computer room are plugged into the TV/VCR setup.

4. Insert your VHS tape into the VCR. Make sure that the TV is on VCR (button "B" is for VCR).

5. Press "REC" on the VCR to start recording.

6. You are now recording. Operate the webcam to capture the scenes that you want.

7. To stop recording press "STOP" on the VCR.

8. When you are done:
   Take your VHS tape out of the VCR and store it properly.
   Turn off the VCR and TV.
   Close the web browser on Pipeline.
   Log off Pipeline.