I'm glad to see any type of open hardware; however, there is nothing intrinsically new about this hardware device. Essentially it is a commercial CCD or CMOS i

I'm glad to see any type of open hardware; however, there is nothing intrinsically new about this hardware device. Essentially it is a commercial CCD or CMOS imager hooked up to an embedded Linux machine (such as a Beagle Board). Something that would be much more exciting would be an open hardware initiative to build "computational cameras" -- such as ones that employ assorted pixel masks for high dynamic range or actuated imaging elements to produce flexible depth of field. If you're into the idea of "computational cameras", there was a really cool plenary talk at a conference earlier this year -- check out some coverage at Hizook.com http://www.hizook.com/blog/2009/06/26/computational-cameras-exploiting-megapixels-and-computers-redefine-modern-camera http://www.hizook.com/blog/2009/06/26/computational-cameras-...