Lighttracker enables the computer to calculate the position of a light source that is within the field of vision of a video camera. For this purpose, the analog black-and white video signal is processed and analyzed. A video camera from a door intercom system was used as camera. Three Pascal programs analyze the signal that is transmitted via the computer’s audio input line. Program 1 (by Yasad Rabady) converts WAV samples into ordinary numbers in text form. Program 2 (by Lukas Huber) displays the data on the screen oscillographically. Program 3 finds the lightest spots in an image and calculates the position of the light source. To improve orientation, the alternating signal of the data stream is analyzed. This is done, as a rule, only for one coordinate, the horizontal X coordinate. The present version of the software cannot (yet) operate in real time. It uses a WAV file as data source that contains the camera’s video signal. The program AUDACITY was used to create the WAV files.

Patrick Schubert was primarily responsible for developing the hardware.

Prof. Johannes Skala supervised the project, which evolved during an optional course in computer science in 2006 and 2007.