What if digital cameras didn't need (local) storage?: directing photos to the cloud

Abstract

Cloud computing suggests that we can move computers from the desktop onto the network. In this article, we investigate whether we can do the same with digital imaging devices. After all, for most of us, the practical management of local storage on digital cameras is a messy business, keeping track of all those secure digital (SD) memory cards and then figuring out which computer they are stored on. For most family units or socially organized groups, the sensible end point for a collection of images is on shared network storage where everyone can access and contribute to the image collection. So, we consider 1) the current state of art in device connectivity; 2) the current status of digital imaging devices and image/video data requirements; and 3) we put together a proof of concept to test our hypothesis that cameras do not really need local storage any more, and yes, you could actually start to put your photographs directly into the clouds.