Questions to Consider
Before we dive in, consider the following questions when considering which camera best suits your use case. You don't need an answer for everything, but having an idea for many of these will help determine the strengths and weaknesses of various technologies and help narrow down your list.
* Do you even need a camera? Would another sensor work better or be more reliable? Sometimes cameras can introduce a lot of unnecessary complexity where a simple distance sensor or physical button would be simpler.
* Where is the camera being set up? Does it need to be hidden?
* Will the camera be outside and exposed to the elements, or in the presence of direct sunlight?
* What is the lighting control like in the space? Does the space lighting change throughout the day or year?
* How precise does the interactivity need to be? Are you tracking large motions or small ones?
* Do you need more than one camera to cover the space? How will you combine or map the various camera images together?
* How will you run a cable from the camera to your computer? Will cable length be an issue?
* Is your software compatible with your choice of camera?
* Does the camera have settings that you can manually control or will it adjust itself automatically? If you need to control the settings automatically, does the camera allow for that?
* Do you need a high quality live feed image that the visitor will see, or can you get by with low resolution for tracking purposes?
* Is there a lot of movement in the space or in the background? How will you control for that?
* What is your subject? Are you tracking people or objects? Is there a controlled and defined space for interaction (i.e. a tabletop or a "stand here" floor sign), or is it more freeform?
* How big is the space you're trying to track people in? Where is the "active" area?
* Do you need to record audio as well? How do you plan on syncing a (potentially) separate microphone?
* Do you need a variable field of view (FOV), or is a fixed image fine? If necessary, can the image be zoomed or cropped on site?
* If necessary, how are you lighting the scene? What kinds of artificial lights will need to be tested and integrated into your setup?