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https://github.com/novoid/vksensecam

Download-script for Microsoft SenseCam or Vicon Revue v1
https://github.com/novoid/vksensecam

digital-camera file-management lifelogging photographs quantified-self sensecam

Last synced: 2 months ago
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Download-script for Microsoft SenseCam or Vicon Revue v1

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README 

        
* About



In 2012-03 I had the chance to test [[http://viconrevue.com/][Vicon Revue]] (v1) for [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifelogging][Lifelogging]].

The Vicon Revue is the commercial product of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SenseCam][Microsoft SenseCam]].



Vicon Revue is a neck worn digital camera with sensors. It takes

(small) photographs whenever the sensors get a pattern that causes the

firmware to make a snapshot. With the set of photographs you can see

where you have been while wearing the device. Using those photographs

for generating a small video helps people remembering their life. This

has come to attention in the research of memory impairments.



I analyzed the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_air][Adobe AIR]] based software for downloading the data from

the Vicon Revue and for reviewing the photographs later on.  And I

realized that I need an alternative software method to access and

review the data: Adobe AIR will not be around forever and I want to

avoid any [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vendor_lock-in][lock-in]] effect.



* The Issues



During the analyzing phase, I found out that the original JPEG

photographs do have correct [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exif][Exif]] metadata included. Additionally, in

every image folder, there is a file named «SENSOR.CSV» in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values][CSV format]]

which contains the sensor data and their time stamps.



After [[http://www.viconrevue.com/product.html][Vicon Revue Desktop]] moves the data from the device to your

computer, the Exif metadata gets overwritten with the time stamps of

the import process. Unfortunately, this is where you lose the time

information within the photographs.



To get to the original times you have to either parse the «SENSOR.CSV»

or the additionally created [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sqlite][SQLite v3]] database. The SQLite database

contains all values from all «SENSOR.CSV» files and anything you add

within Vicon Revue Desktop (notes, tags, titles, ...).



But I want to use the photographs outside of Vicon Revue Desktop too!



Therefore I found the standard behavior a bit «rude». My solution I

present here adds metadata like the time-stamps to the photo files

itself and to the corresponding «SENSOR.CSV» files as well. When you

do this *before* the import process of Vicon Revue Desktop, you keep

the time information (not within Exif but) within the file names at

least.



* Usage



... as in v0.1 on 2012-03-23:



: Usage:

:          vksensecam-getphotos.py [options]

: 

: This script does has *two* different modes of operation depending

: on the format of the given SENSOR.CSV:

: 

: MODE 1:

: This script copies sensor data and photographs from a "Microsoft

: SenseCam" or "Vicon Revue v1" device to your hard disk and:

:    * creates a download folder on your hard disk

:      like e.g. "/configuredpath/2012-03-23T21.18_SenseCam_data"

:    * copies SENSOR.CSV and photographs to this download folder

:    * add meta-data such as ISO time-stamps to the file names of photos

:      like e.g. "2012-03-21T10.41.48_SenseCam_IR_00001810.JPG"

:    * re-writes the SENSOR.CSV according to the new file names

:    * stores original SENSOR.CSV as a backup

:    * Note: EXIF meta-data of the photos is kept unchanged in the 

:            photographs. Usually they are fine (reflect their exposure

:            time-stamp and such).

: 

: No data is changed on the device itself! You can use other software

: like Vicon Revue Desktop as well afterwards.

: 

: Example invocations on GNU/Linux or Mac OS X:

:   vksensecam-getphotos.py --simulate    ... please use this if unsure!

:   vksensecam-getphotos.py --verbose     ... to get all the noise details

:                                             what is going on

:   vksensecam-getphotos.py               ... this is all you need when 

:                                             everything is set up

: 

: MODE 2:

: If the given SENSOR.CSV is recognized having the format of an already

: downloaded file (Vicon Revue Desktop changes date-stamp separator

: characters to slashes), the tool assumes an already downloaded

: data-set. In this case it does (in the same folder as the SENSOR.CSV):

:    * rename photo file names like described above

:    * changes entries in SENSOR.CSV according to the new file names

:    * saves original SENSOR.CSV as a backup

:    * Note: EXIF meta-data is already likely overwritten by Vicon 

:            Revue Desktop before

: 

: Example invocations on GNU/Linux or Mac OS X:

:   vksensecam-getphotos.py -f /path/to/sensorfile --simulate

:              ... please use this if unsure!

:   vksensecam-getphotos.py -f /path/to/sensorfile

:              ... this is all you need when everything is set up

: 

: If unsure, please use the simulate option!

: Basic configuration is done in the first section of the script.

: 

:   :copyright:  (c) 2012 by Karl Voit 

:   :license:    GPL v2 or any later version

:   :bugreports: 

: 

: 

: Options:

:   -h, --help            show this help message and exit

:   -f PATH, --folder=PATH

:                         (optional) override default folder for SENSOR.CSV

:                         which is "/media/A295-005B/DATA"

:   -v, --verbose         enable verbose mode

:   -q, --quiet           do not output anything but just errors on console

:   -s, --simulate        do not change any file on disk, just report what would

:                         happen

:   --version             display version and exit



* Bonus-Tools



** vksensecam-ls.sh



The short shell script lists the files which are "interesting" to the

user:

- images that were taken because of pressing the "take a photo"-button

- images that were renamed from their original file name



This gives a quick overview over a set of SenseCam images if the user

has already screened the images and renamed important image files.



** vksensecam-openmanualfotos.sh



This sort shell script uses a command called "open" (exists on Mac OS

X and can easily be done for GNU/Linux) to open all images that were

invoked manually. If you close the image viewer, the next one opens.



This is very handy to quickly find and rename images which were shot

on purpose - using the button.



* Background Information 



- Wiki: http://www.clarity-centre.org/sensecamwiki/index.php/Main_Page

- Tech Specs: http://www.clarity-centre.org/sensecamwiki/index.php/Technical_specifications

- more technical details: http://www.clarity-centre.org/claritywiki/images/7/72/SenseCam_User_Guide_v1.4.pdf



* License



This documentation is licensed under a [[http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/][Creative Commons

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License]].



The script file is licenced under [[http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html][GPL v3 or newer]].