This article was taken from the September 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Growing up in China, inventor Ji Shen had a notion to improve the lives of teachers in his country's crowded schools: a machine that would simplify the grading process. So he made a camera that hovered over answer sheets and scanned data.
His grading software didn't make the grade, but the camera concept turned out to be the forerunner of a raft of scanners, including this, the new HoverCam Mini 5, for Pathway Innovations and Technologies, the San Diego-based company Ji established three years ago.
Pathway, which has now sold hundreds of thousands of units worldwide (it costs £299 for UK residents), bills the Mini 5 as the smallest 5MP scanning camera -- it folds to the size of a Snickers bar. John Miewald, marketing manager, explains: "Most things you would do in a workplace you can do on the road, but scanning still requires a large, flatbed scanner. This fits in your pocket, it scans in a second and it doubles as a web cam." It can handle video speeds of 20 fps at HD 720p resolution and 15 fps at 5MP resolution. It also has an autofocusing CMOS sensor and lens module giving clear, steady images.
The main challenge was making this device work entirely through USB, so no additional cables are needed. "The Mini 5 draws power and exchanges data through a single USB 2," Miewald explains. "The Hover-Cam then uses the processing power of your computer, rather than doing it itself."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
