VIUcam - Introduction

VIUcam #1 [Nanaimo Campus]   See LIVE updates on Campus Activity!
Cowichan ConstructionCAM [Cowichan Place]   See LIVE updates on Construction Progress!

History

The VIUcam pilot project was initiated in Spring of 2008 by Facilties Services & Campus Development and was developed together with VIU's Communications & IT departments as a tool to give the VIU community virtually live feedback on weather, parking and other interesting activities & events on campus. Research was performed on systems used by other organizations, including municipalities & alpine resorts.

Details

The web-based, Digital IP, "PTZ" [pan, tilt, zoom] camera operates continuously on a pre-determined patrol sequence, publishing 5 separate frames to the VIU website approximately every minute. This information is particularly useful for daily commuters, but also for the university's publicity on a local, regional, national & global level.

For privacy purposes, information obtained by the camera is not stored in any way. As the camera runs through its patrol sequence, each image is overwritten by its corresponding successor & published to the web. The VIUcam is subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), and complies with Commissioner’s Order #02-46. For more information please contact the Information & Privacy Officer in the Communications and Public Relations office of Vancouver Island University at 250-740-6341.

Future

Due to the success of the VIUcam pilot, & positive feedback from the VIU community, additional camera location(s) may be explored in the future.