An electronic device, computer program product, and method avoids presenting certain objects during a video communication session. During a video communication session with second electronic device(s), a controller of an electronic device identifies baseline image(s) from an image stream provided by an image capturing device of the electronic device. The baseline image includes a primary image portion of participant(s) and including a scene of objects within the foreground or background of participant (s), during an initial portion of the video communication session. The controller monitors the image stream for a subsequent detection of the primary image portion and of non-participant(s) or object(s) as a secondary image portion that is not included within the baseline image(s). The controller responds to detecting the secondary image portion subsequently appearing within the image stream by communicating, to the one or more second electronic devices, a substitute image stream that does not present the secondary image portion.

A method of controlling an image acquisition device for tracking a target object includes: detecting an event in which tracking of a first object, which is a tracking target object, fails in a first image acquired by the image acquisition device; determining, in the first image, a reference object which is used as a reference for controlling the image acquisition device; controlling the image acquisition device such that at least one of an image capturing range and an image capturing direction of the image acquisition device is adjusted based on at least one of a size and a location of the reference object in the first image; and recognizing the first object in a second image acquired by the image acquisition device in a state in which at least one of the image capturing range and the image capturing direction is adjusted.

A method and device are provided for positioning a mounted camera. The device includes a holding element that secures the mounted camera to the device, a wireless linkage at which remote attitude commands representing attitude changes of a remote driver are received, a local controller that interprets the remote attitude commands and generates local attitude commands that move the camera to mimic an orientation of the remote driver, and an attitude sensing element that senses a local attitude of the device. The attitude sensing element includes a gyro, an accelerometer, or a magnetometer, and jitter present in the remote attitude commands is removed and not passed on to the local attitude commands.

An autonomous robotic vehicle is capable of detecting, identifying, and locating the source of gas leaks such as methane. Because of the number of operating components within the vehicle, it may also be considered a robotic system. The robotic vehicle can be remotely operated or can move autonomously within a jobsite. The vehicle selectively deploys a source detection device that precisely locates the source of a leak. The vehicle relays data to stakeholders and remains powered that enables operation of the vehicle over an extended period. Monitoring and control of the vehicle is enabled through a software interface viewable to a user on a mobile communications device or personal computer.

Secure communication in a geographic incident area is disclosed. Computer-implemented methods are also disclosed, one of which is for restricting access to a resource and includes generating a key and splitting it into N key parts (where N is an integer greater than two). The method also includes encrypting the N key parts. The method also includes transmitting, over a network, to a device: the N encrypted key parts; and identifying information for N secret objects expected to be visible within the area. Each of the N encrypted key parts is decryptable based on at least one video analytics-discernable object attribute for each respective secret object of the N secret objects. The method also includes allowing an additional entity to access the resource only by presentation of a complete key formed from decrypted versions of less than all of the N key parts.

An imaging system may include a housing having shape and size sufficient to receive an industrial tool inserted into the housing. The imaging system may further include a plurality of cameras and a plurality of light sources positioned within the housing in a manner to surround the industrial tool upon insertion of the industrial tool into the housing. The imaging system may include a processing unit to control operation of the cameras and light sources and adjust relative positions of the cameras and light sources in relation to the industrial tool to capture a plurality of images of relevant portions of the industrial tool. The plurality of images collectively reveals substantially all of the relevant portions of the industrial tool. A method and computer-readable medium are also disclosed.

A gimbal device for supporting an external photographing device includes a depth camera, a control unit and an actuator. The depth camera is configured to obtain spatial coordinates of a subject being photographed. The control unit is configured to determine a direction adjustment value of the gimbal device according to the spatial coordinates. The actuator is configured to receive the direction adjustment value and to adjust spatial orientation of the gimbal device according to the direction adjustment value, so that the external photographing device is able to track the subject being photographed. The control unit is further configured to obtain initial three-axis data of the gimbal device and three-axis data after the gimbal device is set to determine an angle difference between the initial three-axis data and the set three-axis data, and the actuator is further configured to receive the angle difference.

A gimbal device for supporting an external photographing device includes a depth camera, a control unit and an actuator. The depth camera is configured to obtain spatial coordinates of a subject being photographed. The control unit is configured to determine a direction adjustment value of the gimbal device according to the spatial coordinates. The actuator is configured to receive the direction adjustment value and to adjust spatial orientation of the gimbal device according to the direction adjustment value, so that the external photographing device is able to track the subject being photographed. The control unit is further configured to obtain initial three-axis data of the gimbal device and three-axis data after the gimbal device is set to determine an angle difference between the initial three-axis data and the set three-axis data, and the actuator is further configured to receive the angle difference.

A point cloud capture system is provided to detect and correct data density during point cloud generation. The system obtains data points that are distributed within a space and that collectively represent one or more surfaces of an object, scene, or environment. The system computes the different densities with which the data points are distributed in different regions of the space, and presents an interface with a first representation for a first region of the space in which a first subset of the data points are distributed with a first density, and a second representation for a second region of the space in which a second subset of the data points are distributed with a second density.

Disclosed is a gamification system for overlaying user-controlled graphical targeting elements over a real-time video feed of an instrument being inspected, and providing interactive controls for firing virtual weapons or other graphical indicators to designate and/or record the presence of contaminants, defects, and/or other issues at specific locations within or on the instrument. The system may receive and present images of the instrument under inspection in a graphical user interface (“GUI”). The system may receive user input that tags a particular region of a particular image with an issue identifier, and may generate a visualization that is presented in conjunction with the particular image in the GUI in response to receiving the input. The visualization corresponds to firing of a virtual weapon and other gaming visuals associated with tagging the particular region of the particular image with the issue identifier.