Mounting a camera & Screen to see your pedals

[falling-out-with-my-car]

Hello,
Im going to start with a picture as others have expressed some interest in this little setup.
so here it is: It would cost a lot of money to have an adaptations company do this for you.

I am loosing feeling in my feet through Neuropathy I can move my feet and legs fine they are just numb.

I would like to help anyone else in similar circumstances. Neuropathy is linked to diabetes and ageing.





Ok this is the camera it must be forward facing giving a (NON-Reversed image) and have no reverse parking lines transmitted to the display screen.
it is mounted to the bottom cowling of the steering column with the supplied screws
a pointy braddle was fine to make the holes for the screws. some of the parts come from china but I just had to be patient waiting for them to arrive.
it keeps costs down.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1PCS-Useful-C ... 1825592707


Now the screen: This can be a bit tricky because many screens are developed for reverse parking with parking guide lines on the image in either pal the British format or NTSC the American format for tv pictures.
The little camera is both pal and NTSC formats so we need a screen with no parking lines on the image and pal & / or NTSC compatibility to match the little camera.

heres a link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BW-Monitor-Dig ... B0056WJP1M


At this point you will need 1 x yellow MALE Phono connector lead for the FEMALE video connection plugs x 2 to route the video from the camera to the screen the length of each I will leave for you to determine. secondly a suitable three or four socket 12 volt dc in car Cigarette socket expansion extension lead.


Phono lead Link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CDL-Micro-Sing ... +lead+male.


Cigarette socket expansion link.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-24V-Volt- ... SwA3dYReV0


and Now the all important bracket to hold the screen which isn't a perfect fit right from the off I had to aeroldite using wilkos waterproof epoxy two standard wooden clothes pegs side by side and glue them together once I had removed the springs, I then epoxied to the depth of one peg to each end of the back of the display screen two glued together pegs. this provides grips for the phone holder (link below) to grip to screen and a stand off for the adjustment buttons on the back of the cctv screen and its stand mounts. it works very well. it does help to roughen the surface on the back of the screen for the glue to bond to.

Link to phone mount bracket.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01 ... UTF8&psc=1

you will also need a sat nav dashboard mounting disk the biggest you can buy which will help with adjustment later and initial bonding to the dashboard these are available from Halfrauds for £2.99 each. at this point it is worth noting that sticking one of these mounting disks to the dashboard in midd winter is nigh on impossible unless you do what I did, firstly using a clean cloth/rag clean the mounting area with methylated spirits and dry, then attach the disk to your articulated phone mount, peel off the sticker cover and warm the dashboard and the sticker with a hairdryer on high heat then press the base attached to your phone mount down hard on the dashboard, holding down the sat nav mount release the phone holder from the mount and push down hard on the sat nav disk to get it to bond to the dashboard, allow to cool before remounting the articulated phone mount and mounting the display screen.

you will also require 2 x 12 volt dc cigarette socket plugs, I paid a little extra at wilkos car mart for the ones with the protruding wires which made life a little easier. you will need a multimeter when your screen and camera arrive to determine the polarity of these cigarette socket plug leads so you are ready to solder the leads to the red and black leads of the camera and screen.

I hope you have not spent any more than £50.00 for all of it. I asked a Motability specialists what it would cost and they said £1,000.000

My system is in a C5 Mk2 and all the wiring is buried in the drivers side Dashboard pocket.
The camera lead is not attached to the dashboard it is simply routed to the left and slung over the steering column cowling then shut in the dashboard compartment door.
power is taken from the front ciggy lighter socket activated on ignition only, and routed in the gap alongside the ashtray and stereo up over the steering column and into the drivers dashboard compartment next to the passenger airbag switch. the gap in the dashboard pocket door is sufficient to accommodate the wires without putting any pressure on the dashboard pocket door.

Lighting for night time use is at present a problem I purchased an IR illuminator but its rubbish so I'm looking to adapt it with a mounted side light bulb under the C5 drivers seat to light up the foot well at night. I shall come back and edit the light bit in when I figure something out. I will also add more pics later.

[Steven86]

Crazy idea! But if you have a problem like this, you can get an automotive hand control: http://www.abilitycenter.com/drivingaid ... implex.php

[falling-out-with-my-car]

Steven,

I'm afraid most of those adaptations are only available in the USA.
The EU standards are a lot more stringent and if you have a Disability
You have to have an assessment at a driving test centre that has access to an off road track
to assess whether or not you're capable of controlling a vehicle and to find out
which adaptations you actually need, the test costs £80.00 and I find the prospect of being told I cannot cope
behind the wheel very frightening indeed.

Most UK adaptation companies wont entertain you unless you've had the assessment.
Unlike the USA where you can stick anything in your car to control it without an assessment.

[doctle]

I was thinking maybe a system of lights connected to micro switches on the pedals would work? Simple close to complete switches with little lights on a pod say red for the throttle, green for the brake and anything else for the clutch if its a manual. The setup looks good is it practical when driving the car? I have early stages of diabetic neuropathy so anything to do with aids for diabetics is of interest. I get the horrible pains but the pills (Lyrica) makes me stoned so I don't use them.

[Michel]

I get the horrible pains but the pills (Lyrica) makes me stoned so I don't use them.

Keep taking them. You'll build up a tolerance to them over time. I did... I take 300mg per day, 2 x 150mg, one morning, one night. At first, 50mg wiped me out, but now 300 has no effect apart from taking away the pain.

[Michel]

Steven,

I'm afraid most of those adaptations are only available in the USA.
The EU standards are a lot more stringent and if you have a Disability. You have to have an assessment at a driving test centre that has access to an off road track to assess whether or not your capable and which adaptations you actually need, the test costs £80.00 and I find the prospect of being told I cannot cope behind the wheel very frightening indeed.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh Nigel, and you have my every sympathy with your medical problems as my dad had them and I have signs of them.. But, I find the prospect of someone who can't feel their feet and has to look away from the road to work out where they are far more frightening than you find not being able to drive - seriously! My dad gave up driving at the age of 62 because of it and though it was an inconvenience , in his own words "I'm not so bothered about myself, but at least I'll not take anyone with me if I crash"..

[doctle]

I get the horrible pains but the pills (Lyrica) makes me stoned so I don't use them.

Keep taking them. You'll build up a tolerance to them over time. I did... I take 300mg per day, 2 x 150mg, one morning, one night. At first, 50mg wiped me out, but now 300 has no effect apart from taking away the pain.

I'm supposed to take 75mg twice a day, I'm kinda afraid of the Guarda (cops) they do drug tests now and I'd be worried about passing. Still I have some good days with no pain. I have quite a large garden and the lyrica really makes the grass cutting a pleasure with me floating round the place.

[doctle]

I seen a couple of wheelchair drivers in adapted Berlingo people carriers so hand controls are definitely available here in Ireland and we are way behind the UK. I think I saw a joystick in one so am assuming that's for braking and acceleration?
http://www.rica.org.uk/content/car-cont ... mputations

[white exec]

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh Nigel, and you have my every sympathy with your medical problems as my dad had them and I have signs of them.. But, I find the prospect of someone who can't feel their feet and has to look away from the road to work out where they are far more frightening than you find not being able to drive - seriously! My dad gave up driving at the age of 62 because of it and though it was an inconvenience , in his own words "I'm not so bothered about myself, but at least I'll not take anyone with me if I crash..."

Nigel, sorry too, I've read and re-read your post, and I have to agree with Michel's comment above.
If foot operation means you have to take your eyes off the road (and it won't be briefly), then that cannot be a safe way to go. Hand-operation sounds a much, much safer option.

[falling-out-with-my-car]

The screen is now windscreen mounted and in my peripheral field of vision I have had enough time to get used to it. The lighting permanently lighting up the footwell helps a lot to, a single self adhesive strip of five led lights direct to the ignition live ciggy socket. As for adaptations I agree they are available in the UK which wasn't my point. The point was that in the EU you have to go to an assessment to be told whether or not you can drive with the hand controls it is not just a simple matter of getting them fitted and hoping in your car and teaching yourself say in a car park. But I have been on Gabapentin and Lyrica both gave me Worying electric shocks from my toes to my knees and they made me very drowsy. I've been taken off the meds now and the electric like shocks have stopped and I'm taking victim b12 tabs every day and I'm getting back some of the feeling in my toes and feet. I can easily feel the clutch and brake pedals the throttle is to light to feel but I have been told that there is a way to make it feel heavier like the clutch adding elastic to the arm to give it weight increasing the force required to push the pedal down. However I am saving hard to buy an X7 C5 Auto estate. And I shall probably get that adapted. This was never a final solution for me, just an interim method of getting buy until I can afford to buy the auto. Got pulled the other night on the A6 police doing late night checks apparently
One of my led lamps offside front ot was flashing. Policeman asked about the lcd screen displaying g the pedals and he called his mate in his car to come and have a look, they both thought it was great idea. And he said judging by the standard of my driving at night it obviously helped. If you think about it large vans that have no rear view at all rely upon cameras to. See the rear view when reversing, if you glancing at an lcd screen you could say it's a distraction from the side mirrors. Not an aid.

[falling-out-with-my-car]

Chris don't you take your eyes off the road to operate you radio, or look your rear view mirror or side mirrors? Just as dangerous. I can move quickly just like you can just have a little numbness that's all.

[Hell Razor5543]

I wonder if something I saw on "Top Gear" might help. I don't know if you saw the particular episode, but it was about a group of disabled ex-servicemen who were attempting to compete in the Paris - Dakar rally. As the driver had an artificial left leg he could not feel the clutch pedal. According to telemetry he was riding the clutch pedal. What the team planned to do (they did not have time to do it at the event they were competing in on the program) was to fit a switch onto the clutch pedal with a light in peripheral vision on the dashboard. This would show when the clutch pedal was being pressed.

I wonder if a modification here might help? It would need to compensate for background light (in the same way an auto mirror does), but having a variable resister fitted to each pedal with an LED (each of a different colour) showing (by brightness) how far down the pedal is.

[falling-out-with-my-car]

James, clever idea that, I tend to listen for the engine tone change as the clutch is pressed and the throttle is released fortunately I have a rev counter to. Please excuse the lack of spacing I'm on my phone at the mo.

[doctle]

There seems to be lots of assistance in the UK for people who have difficulties driving. Grants, training even Motability hopefully he will get sorted without bankrupting himself.

[white exec]

You need all your attention on the road ahead when driving forwards, not looking at a screen repeatedly to judge where your feet might be.
Yes, I do use the rear view mirror, but need not compute and shift the positioning of my limbs while doing it. I can do this at the same time as using any/all of the pedals, and in less than one second.
I think you should obtain an objective and expert assessment of your physical/driving capabilities, and be guided by that.
My guess is that if you were to let your insurance company know how you now have to drive, they would withdraw cover or impose strict limitations.
In short, I think that "self assessment" probably isn't appropriate here, and could be a hazard to yourself and others.
My apologies if I upset.