If you are frustrated with helmet cameras because you can never tell if they are switched on and recording what you want, then Talk ’N Shoot may be the answer.
Imagine being able to tell your action camera when to start and stop recording and then hear a verbal reply as confirmation rather than having to check in your mirrors for a flashing red or green light.
That’s the promise from French company Talk ’N Shoot, a smartphone app that controls any action camera with wifi capability via a Bluetooth headset.
It means you would never miss recording some exciting riding action because you thought the camera was on when it was actually switched off.
It also means you can keep your hands on the bars, you don’t have to ask your mates if the cameras is on and you won’t end up with hours of boring video.
The company has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $A79,700 to fund their patent-pending Talk ’N Shoot product.
If successful, they promise to deliver the Android version in September 2018 and the iOS in October.
Retail price of the app is €15 ($A24) a year for the first of registration, then €10 ($A16) a year for renewal.
It will work with any Bluetooth headset, but you can also buy their headset.
How it works
Founder Cedric Michon claims it works in a noisy environment to identify the following voice commands: Recording start, recording stop, take photo, take burst (of photos), camera on and camera off which puts it into sleep mode, not totally switched off
The headset will confirm these commands with the following replies: Recording ok, recording off, photo ok, burst ok, camera ready and camera off.
They promise more voice commands to come such as: change resolution, battery level, memory space and more.
Action cameras
In March 2018, the Australian Road Rules were amended to clarify standards compliance for helmets at the point of manufacture.
That should mean riders are allowed to add bluetooth and camera devices so long as they do not drill holes in their helmet.
However, the new ARRs have not yet been ratified by all states and are still open to the interpretation of various state police.
At the moment, Victoria and South Australia seem to be the only states where police fine riders for wearing action cameras on their helmets.