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DIY gotomobile’s mobile cam

Here are instructions for building your own mobile device testing device. It’s home grown, affordable but most of all it works beautifully. It is portable, light and easy to utilize for mobile-specific testing of mobile interaction.

gotomobile’s mobile cam provides a highly adaptable and easy to use platform to for imaging mobile devices during testing. It allows you to view and record the keypad and screen from the user’s perspective during a usability or other interface test – practically impossible in person without rubbing cheeks with the user!.

The goto cam device is small, easy to use, quick to setup and highly adaptable to different mobile devices. It is also easily adaptable to screen sharing and other usability testing packages such as Morae from Techsmith.

Ingredients:

• Web Cam 1.3Mega pixels or greater (1280 x 1024 native, without software enhancement) Microsoft LifeCam VX-6000 ~ $100
• Goose neck lamp with clamp
• Halogen, Hardware store
• 1/32” thick x 3”x3” plastic sheet
• Empty detergent bottle, Recycling bin ~ Free!
• Split-Loom Tubing – 5 ft, ½” diameter, RadioShack ~ $5
• Cable Ties, RadioShack ~$3
• Ball-head tripod mount SLIK SBH-60, Camera Shop ~ $20
• ¼ ”x20 T-Nut, Qty. 3, Hardware store ~ $0.33/each
• ¼ ”x20 Bolt and washer, Hardware store ~ $0.10/each
• Polyethelyne Cutting Board, Hardware store ~ $13
• Velcro or similar 3M Picture Hanging Strips part# 17201, Hardware store

Tools:

• Philips screwdriver
• Knife
• Drill & bits
• Hand Saw (preferably fine tooth)
• Hammer or vice

Instructions:

1. Remove bulb, glass and wires from lamp

2. Cut a retainer out of the plastic sheet to hold the camera to the lamp.

3. Screw the retainer and camera to the lamp (reusing the screw that were holding the glass in place)

4. Cut split-loom tubing to length of goose neck and place over goose neck

5. Route USB cable of camera through the split-loom tubing

6. Secure split-loom tubing at either end with cable ties

7. Drill 5/16” hole through top clamp

8. Secure ball-head to clamp using ¼”x20 bolt and washer

9. Cut appropriate shape for mobile device mounting out of cutting board

10. Drill 3/8” hole through mobile device mounting board
11. Press T-Nut into hole in device mounting board using vice, hammer or other means
12. Screw device mounting board onto ball-head

13. Attach velcro strips to mounting board

14. Attach mobile device with velcro, done!

Usability testing of a Sony 910 with the gotomobile cam:
usability-testing.flv

Concept: Kelly Goto
Design & Fabrication: Nicole Armbruster & Leif Bansner

Posted on April 18th, 2007 in Links
Tagged as No Tags
Written by Kelly Goto

16 Responses to “DIY gotomobile’s mobile cam”

Comments

1. Cameron Moll says:
   April 18th, 2007

   You rock big-time, Kelly. I’m so going to make one of these.

2. Jared Benson says:
   April 18th, 2007

   Nice work, Kelly! I’ll share pictures once I get mine built.

3. Lisa H says:
   April 18th, 2007

   I love this, it’s a great example of how we don’t need to over engineer and get too technical using expensive equipment to test things.

4. Kelly Goto says:
   April 18th, 2007

   It’s “open source” mobile camera-crafting. We have been so frustrated at all of the mobile cams and document cameras and everything out there - this device works beautifully and is very inexpensive to produce. Remember you’ll need natural or bright lighting to get a touchscreen or larger screen display. Do send in photos and samples of your videos when you make one - if you find better cameras and input methods - let us know! We’ll be working on a wireless version soon… the i-sight works great and is auto-focus - but is a bit too heavy and not cross-platform for usage. But you can try that if you want an excellent picture.

5. neona says:
   April 18th, 2007

   we also made a Mobile testing camera rig,I think it’s more cheaper and more convenience to use ~~
   we only use a camre which have a plastic metal string and some adhesive tape~~

   If you what to know how it looks like ,you can send me a mail~~

6. Timothy Yeo says:
   April 18th, 2007

   Hey Kelly.

   The video demo had picture in picture of the user, as well as the main video of what’s going on on the mobile’s screen.

   Q1) I’m guessing that you have a 2nd web cam that’s shooting the user, yes?
   Q2) What app is it that you’re using to do this?

   Morae records the computer’s screen activity + 1 webcam shooting the user. In this case, instead of recording a computer’s screen activity, we have 2 input sources from webcams. So I’m wondering how you did it. Do tell :)

   Thanks.

7. Lucas Noldus says:
   April 18th, 2007

   Hi all, you may also want to take a look at the one we produced: http://www.noldus.com/site/doc200402054. It’s not DIY but we trust it’s worth its value. Comments and suggestions are welcome!

8. Leif Bansner says:
   April 18th, 2007

   In response to Timothy above:

   You’re right, we use a second camera and an application called IC Capture,
   http://www.theimagingsource.co...../overview/
   IC Capture displays the image from the Device Camera onto the computer desktop. This allows Morae to grab the IC Capture image from the desktop and get a picture-in-picture feed from a second camera pointed at the user’s face.

   Good luck!

   Leif

9. Tobias says:
   April 18th, 2007

   Hi,

   great device, I love it!
   I’ll have to try the IC capture software, we always use the Logitech Quick cam. This produces quite a large video files, unfortunately.
   Our device has the mobile fixed to a plastic block, so it’s handheld. If you have a bit larger hands… ;-)

10. Anthony Richardson says:
    April 18th, 2007

    you should all try http://www.deviceanywhere.com.

    My colleagues use it and they say its good.

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