How it Works - Digital Camera Webcam

The "big picture" difference in the OxBlue Construction Webcam System is that it is a fully integrated turnkey service using the best digital camera - webcam technology available. We provide every detail - from the digital camera at your construction site to the web page you see it on.

At the Jobsite:

The OxBlue construction webcam unit is completely self-contained, requiring only power to operate. It consists of 17 components (digital camera - webcam, hardware, software, mini-PC controller and cellular wireless equipment); enclosed in a hardened, weatherproof housing capable of working in temperatures from well below zero to over 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

When the digital camera - webcam unit arrives at the jobsite, the client or it's contractor unpacks the unit and plugs power in at the jobsite trailer. Our technicians confirm that images are being received and the system is ready for mounting. Using the mounting hardware provided by OxBlue, the client mounts the webcam in the desired location. The construction webcam begins sending images via wireless cellular transmission - no need for a phone line or DSL line and no need for an on-site server to store the images.

The OxBlue webcam captures a picture every 10 to 15 minutes and automatically connects to the Internet via the wireless connection, sending the digital images to the OxBlue datacenter and network.

The standard image uploaded by an OxBlue digital camera - webcam is a 3 mega pixel digital image (2,048 x 1,536 pixels). At 3 mp resolution the images are up to 40 times larger than other webcams. 4 mega pixel (2304 x 1728) and 6 mega pixel (2816 x 2112) webcam systems are also available.

The Project Website and User Interface

When the user visits their OxBlue project website they are connected to the OxBlue network and can begin viewing project images. Access to the specific construction webcams may be password protected or open to the public, depending on the client's preference. To find out more about selecting images, navigating and using OxBlue's user interface see User Interface.

OxBlue's Hosted Servers

OxBlue maintains a network of high speed servers optimized for handling large volumes of digital webcam images at its Atlanta data center. The key here is "fast + reliable" - every step in the read/write process is optimized so images will load quickly when viewed on the client's project website. Long term data security is another key. We have a completely redundant network and server infrastructure, as well as a third installation housed within OxBlue's headquarters. The result: your images are stored on a highly secure and redundant network allowing for long term archive storage.

Automated Image Optimization and Quality Control

As part of the OxBlue service, digital images are automatically optimized for contrast, hue, color balance and brightness. This is a key benefit - one step in the process that results in the extremely high image quality of OxBlue's digital camera - webcam service. Further, if the system detects an error such as a break in the cellular service or low quality image, an auto notification is sent to OxBlue tech support so we can address the problem immediately.

Construction Webcam Benefit Review:

The benefit of our hosted approach and cellular image transmission is that within just a few days clients can have the system up and running at virtually any geographic location. Contrast this with other construction webcam systems that require time-consuming hardware/software configuration at the site and expensive high-bandwidth lines. Further, OxBlue provides consistently high quality, fast-loading images with high reliability. And your data is secure for the long haul.