I'm starting this thread to get input on a product idea...
When driving a vehicle off-road through rocks and other obstacles, it's important to pick the correct "line" through the obstacles. Often a spotter is used, he/she will walk ahead of the Jeep, watching the line and tire placement among the rocks, directing the driver by hand signals.
The product idea is a trail camera system. The system would support up to four cameras - one might be used as a backup camera to provide a good view behind a large spare, and the other cameras could be mounted up front to give a view of the obstacles on the trail ahead.
There could be one camera on each side of the Jeep, aimed down at an angle to give a view of where each front wheel is going, and a third camera could be mounted on the front bumper or grille to give a view down at the terrain - a view of terrain closer to the Jeep than you could get from the driver's seat. Or, the third (or a fourth) camera could be mounted under the Jeep, perhaps on the transmission skid plate, looking forward between the front tires.
The front/side cameras wouldn't need to be on the Jeep every day, those could be installed just for the trail run - this could mostly be for security reasons - you wouldn't need the side cameras on a trip to the mall, where they might get stolen anyway. The camera mounts and wiring connections would be designed for quick removal and reinstallation.
I know some people done camera systems already, sourcing their monitor and cameras on places like eBay and then figuring out how to install and configure everything on the Jeep, but the idea here is to provide a ready-to-install system tailored for the Jeep, including step-by-step installation instructions so anyone could do it. Camera mounts would be provided that would be designed for the Jeep, so you wouldn't have to resort to zip ties or drilling holes in the Jeep to mount the cameras. Several different mount styles could be provided, including magnetic mounts that could stick to the body panels, frame or skid plate.
Several camera options could be offered, including a license-plate mount camera that could go on the front or rear, and small, lightweight cameras that could be mounted pretty much anywhere.
A system is in the process of being tested now, here are the main components - a monitor/DVR capable of displaying up to 4 cameras on the screen at the same time and recording up to 4 cameras on an SD memory card, a license plate camera, and two (or three) small cube cameras (circled in this photo because they're pretty small).
The monitor would mount on the dash (or anywhere else that would suit the Jeep or its driver), in this photo it's on the dash of an LJ:
The Jeep in the monitor view above has three cameras installed - in this view there's one on each side mirror showing an outside view of the front tires, and the third camera is mounted on the bumper to give a view just ahead of the Jeep. This photo was shot in the driveway, so there aren't any trail obstacles in the view.
When driving a vehicle off-road through rocks and other obstacles, it's important to pick the correct "line" through the obstacles. Often a spotter is used, he/she will walk ahead of the Jeep, watching the line and tire placement among the rocks, directing the driver by hand signals.
The product idea is a trail camera system. The system would support up to four cameras - one might be used as a backup camera to provide a good view behind a large spare, and the other cameras could be mounted up front to give a view of the obstacles on the trail ahead.
There could be one camera on each side of the Jeep, aimed down at an angle to give a view of where each front wheel is going, and a third camera could be mounted on the front bumper or grille to give a view down at the terrain - a view of terrain closer to the Jeep than you could get from the driver's seat. Or, the third (or a fourth) camera could be mounted under the Jeep, perhaps on the transmission skid plate, looking forward between the front tires.
The front/side cameras wouldn't need to be on the Jeep every day, those could be installed just for the trail run - this could mostly be for security reasons - you wouldn't need the side cameras on a trip to the mall, where they might get stolen anyway. The camera mounts and wiring connections would be designed for quick removal and reinstallation.
I know some people done camera systems already, sourcing their monitor and cameras on places like eBay and then figuring out how to install and configure everything on the Jeep, but the idea here is to provide a ready-to-install system tailored for the Jeep, including step-by-step installation instructions so anyone could do it. Camera mounts would be provided that would be designed for the Jeep, so you wouldn't have to resort to zip ties or drilling holes in the Jeep to mount the cameras. Several different mount styles could be provided, including magnetic mounts that could stick to the body panels, frame or skid plate.
Several camera options could be offered, including a license-plate mount camera that could go on the front or rear, and small, lightweight cameras that could be mounted pretty much anywhere.
A system is in the process of being tested now, here are the main components - a monitor/DVR capable of displaying up to 4 cameras on the screen at the same time and recording up to 4 cameras on an SD memory card, a license plate camera, and two (or three) small cube cameras (circled in this photo because they're pretty small).
The monitor would mount on the dash (or anywhere else that would suit the Jeep or its driver), in this photo it's on the dash of an LJ:
The Jeep in the monitor view above has three cameras installed - in this view there's one on each side mirror showing an outside view of the front tires, and the third camera is mounted on the bumper to give a view just ahead of the Jeep. This photo was shot in the driveway, so there aren't any trail obstacles in the view.