Task CamSee every step
Understand every cycle

Task Cam is suitable for production departments, line supervisors, and Industrial Engineers (IE) in factories with multi-step manual assembly processes. Task Cam solves 2 issues: workers skipping or switching steps without anyone noticing, and factories lacking real-time cycle times for each step to balance workloads. The camera looks down from above the workstation and automatically records both the sequence and time.

Multi-step manual assembly work is prone to errors when repeated throughout a shift, such as missing a screw or reversing the order of inserting pins. Line supervisors cannot simultaneously inspect every station, and the actual time taken for each step is rarely recorded by anyone.

Task Cam Users

• Production departments and line supervisors who want every piece to go through all steps in the correct sequence (Poka-Yoke - mistake-proofing mechanism from human error)
• IE engineers who need the actual time for each step to find standard times and steps that take too long
• Training teams who need to make Work Instructions manuals from actual work
• Teams that want to observe working postures to adjust workstations according to ergonomics principles

Examples of tasks that can use Task Cam include assembly work, electronic assembly such as inserting pins or screwing screws onto circuit boards, and component inspection work where employees must point out defects at specified points.

Task Cam verifies work sequence using detection frames placed on the image of the workstation. The AI on the camera detects the employee's hand. The system administrator places detection frames at the points where the hand needs to go in each step, and arranges them in work sequence. When the hand enters the correct step's detection frame, the system records the time and moves on to the next step automatically. We can help design detection frames and work sequences that match your station.

3 modes of Task Cam

Dashboard has Sequential (work order) and Skeleton (posture) views to choose from based on the type of work. Task Cam comes in Standard NPU 1.0 TOPS and Pro NPU 3.0 TOPS models that process AI internally and install Task Cam software onto the camera. All values are listed in the table below.

Steps to start using

1. 1

   Power the camera

   Connect the camera to the power adapter

2. 2

   Network connection

   Standard model connects via Wi-Fi 6 · Pro model connects via LAN RJ45 10/100M through Router or Switch in the same network as viewing device

3. 3

   Connect display device to the same network

   Connect the PC, tablet, or Smart TV to the same router as the camera

4. 4

   Open the camera’s IP address in a browser

   Enter the camera IP (port 8000) to access the web app, view live images and check work sequence immediately. User account on Line is separate from the administrator's setup account.

Task Cam provides various types of data, including screen values, video per cycle, CSV files, signals or APIs for other systems, and Work Instruction manuals. Single station results can be viewed immediately through the browser. If multiple stations need to be combined, send files to NAS (network attached storage) or nimitFlow.

Suitable for manual assembly or inspection tasks at a single station, where the workspace is within the view of the Task Cam. Not suitable for defect inspection of workpieces using images, nor is it a CCTV camera, as it detects movements of hands and records videos in separate clips based on work cycles.

On-site conditions that need to be known before installation

The product documentation does not specify weight, IP water and dust resistance level, and operational temperature range. If your workplace has dust, water, or high heat, please inform us during the assessment.

In B.E. 2569, we trialled and prepared Task Cam sets for 2 projects. These 2 projects are still in progress and are not yet in full operation. The first is a trial on an assembly line; the second is an equipment set for 1 workstation. The other 2 projects below concern cycle timing and work posture, but did not use Task Cam

In B.E. 2569, we installed Task Cam in Sequential mode alongside another Task Cam in Skeleton mode at a workstation on an automotive parts manufacturer’s assembly line. The POC (Proof of Concept — testing before full operation) trial is ongoing. The system saves video clips and CSV files for every step to NAS, and we have provided an operating manual for the on-site team

In B.E. 2569, we sourced, assembled, and delivered a Task Cam set for 1 workstation to a general manufacturing factory. It includes a camera on a 5-axis mounting arm, an Intrigger button for start/stop and reset, a Wi-Fi 6 router, NAS, and a tablet display. The customer ordered equipment only, excluding our installation service. Delivery and demonstration are complete; output-signal testing is ongoing

We previously implemented cycle-time measurement with video using another system. In B.E. 2562, we piloted it on 1 production line at an automotive parts manufacturer. It measured Cycle Time at each workstation from PLC (machine controller) signals and let users click a graph point to open video from the same period. It used IP cameras and a separate processing board, not Task Cam

In B.E. 2569, we held a 1-day ergonomics workshop for 5 groups of trainees, teaching the RULA, REBA, and NIOSH work-posture assessment tools, with a slide-based case study of an AI camera counting work cycles. No Task Cam was installed for this workshop. Participants assessed posture using their groups’ own estimates, not camera data

What we learned

• The gloves employees actually wear affect hand detection. On the assembly line, workers wear white cotton gloves and work quickly, so we trained a new hand detection model using real gloves from the worksite.
• Camera processing speed must keep up with hand movements. For this actual-use job, we planned to use higher-specification cameras for processing.
• When storing clips on NAS, the order of device startup matters. During testing, we specified steps to ensure NAS was ready before the camera.
• For the 1-station set, the customer ordered equipment only, without installation, and prioritized an operating manual. We assembled the set before delivery. Output-signal testing remains in progress, so the signal destination should be clearly defined before use
• The B.E. 2562 pilot project required immediate video review of unusually slow cycles, so we linked Cycle Time graph points to video from the same period. Timing data should therefore be stored with video from the outset

What does it mean to you?

Before providing a quotation, we ask for a video of one work cycle filmed from above the station, with the operator wearing the gloves actually used on the job. We use it to check whether the Hand or Handglove model works or needs additional training, and whether the camera can keep up with the hand movements

We recommend starting with the station that has the clearest work sequence problem, then defining the camera specifications and installation methods for other stations. If you install it yourself, make sure the end points of the I/O signals and the order of NAS startup are clear before the actual usage date.