Cameras

Camera placement matters more than camera price. A $60 camera mounted high with a clear view of the whole field makes a better stream than an expensive one at eye level behind a row of standing spectators.

Placement

  • Mount cameras on a stand that puts them well above head height. Light stands in the 7 to 13 foot range work well and cost about $40 to $65.

  • Frame the whole playing field, including both alliance stations, so viewers can tell which robots belong to which alliance.

  • Keep the camera out of the paths that field staff, queuers, and teams walk during matches. Check the shot again once the audience is seated.

  • Weigh down the stand’s legs with sandbags, and tape down the cable so nobody trips on it or knocks the stand over.

Bronze Tier

Use one camera with a wide, fixed shot of the field.

A network (IP) camera is the recommended choice. Several regions use the Amcrest IP2M-841B, a 1080p camera that costs about $60 when paired with a low-cost PoE splitter. PoE (Power over Ethernet) carries both power and video over one network cable, so the camera needs a single cable back to the streaming computer or network switch. A network cable can run up to 100 meters (328 feet), which is far longer than any USB cable.

A USB webcam also works if the field is close to the streaming computer. Passive USB 2.0 cables are limited to about 5 meters (16 feet), so longer runs need an active USB extension cable. A smartphone running a webcam app is another option, and it often has a better image sensor than a budget webcam. If you use a phone, keep it plugged in to power for the whole event and turn off its notifications and screen lock.

At a two-field event, set up one camera per field.

Silver Tier

Add a second camera aimed at the area where awards are presented and interviews happen. Without one, viewers watch an empty field during the awards ceremony.

The second camera can be another fixed IP camera. A PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) camera is a better fit, because it can be pointed at the awards area, the emcee, or a team being interviewed without anyone climbing a ladder to move it.

At a two-field event, the second field’s camera can be re-aimed at the awards area once matches are finished, which gives you an awards camera without buying one.

Gold Tier

Use several NDI PTZ cameras with a hardware PTZ controller. NDI is a standard for sending video, audio, and camera control over an ordinary network. Each camera needs only one network cable, and appears in OBS as a source once the NDI plugin is installed (see OBS Plugins). Volunteers have paid $300 to $500 per camera and about $300 for a controller.

Because NDI cameras are all on the same network, cameras owned by different volunteers can be combined for championships and Premier Events. A typical Gold setup has a camera on each field, one on the awards area, and one that an operator can move during opening ceremonies and alliance selection.