USB web-cams

ANY-maze can use good quality USB digital cameras to track in all but the most adverse conditions - i.e. low light and/or poor contrast.

If you expect to track in light levels above about 20 lux and there's good contrast between the background of your apparatus and the animals, then a USB camera may be just the answer. USB cameras are extremely easy to set up and prices start from just $160.00.

FireWire cameras

ANY-maze can capture images from any FireWire camera that adheres to the DCAM specification. These cameras provide high quality images in most conditions, have interchangeable lenses and connect directly to a computer's FireWire (IEEE 1394, i.Link) port.
What's more, multiple cameras can be daisy-chained on a single port, making them an ideal way to connect multiple cameras to a portable computer.

Network cameras

ANY-maze can capture images from Axis network cameras. These devices plug directly into a standard Ethernet network, allowing any computer on the same network to connect to them. Models such Axis 211 can be fitted with a CS mount, auto-iris lens, while devices such as the Axis 221 have a special night time mode providing good low-light performance.

DV camcorders

ANY-maze can also capture images from DV (digital video) camcorders. These cameras are quite expensive but as many people own a DV camcorder for making home movies, you may already have one.
 
 

Analogue cameras

You can use almost any black and white or colour analogue CCTV camera with ANY-maze, so there's a chance you may already have a suitable device somewhere in your lab. If not, then we can supply a range of devices to suit all situations.

Analogue cameras generally aren't supplied with a lens, but this has the benefit that you can choose one which exactly suits your apparatus. Images quality is generally better than USB devices and black and white cameras usually work well in low light. As ANY-maze only processes black and white images there's no benefit to using a colour camera although they do work.

Capture cards

If you use an analogue camera with ANY-maze then you'll need to use a capture card (sometimes called a frame grabber or digitiser) to convert the camera's signal to a digital form that the computer can read. ANY-maze works with a number of devices from different manufacturers.
 
 
 

In summary

ANY-maze supports many different devices for image capture covering a wide spectrum of requirements: low cost, notebook connectivity, support for simultaneous capture from multiple cameras, etc.
The easiest way to work out which device is best for your application is to download ANY-maze and run the Equipment Wizard - it will asses your needs and recommend a suitable camera, lens and capture card, as well as listing the accessories, such as cables and camera mounts that you'll need. Its report even includes part numbers and prices.

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