01 · Record
Plug into a power bank
Records within a minute: one blink per second. Unplug to stop; all but the last ~10 s is kept.
Mutual
Anchor Recorder
Stereo video and IMU, straight to the microSD card. Nothing to install: just give it power.
02 · Copy
Plug into a computer
Recording stops and a drive called ANCHOR appears. Copy its sessions folder.
03 · Check & focus
Connect on this page
While it is on a computer: status, recordings, and a live view for focusing.
Connect ↓Your recorder
Chrome or Edge · USB cable
Plug it into this computer. When the light stays on, click Connect and pick the recorder.
Talks to the recorder over the cable only; nothing is uploaded. Reconnects by itself next time.
Last recording
–
Frame rate
–
Card free
–
Temperature
–
Clock
–
Normal use needs no button. Record now takes the card back from this computer.
Left sharpness
Right sharpness
To focus: aim at something detailed and hold still. Turn one lens slowly past its sharpest point, then back until its bar is full and green.
Recordings on the card
| Session | Length | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Loading… | ||
Named unit_boot_n: power-on count, then recording number.
The light
Green status LED
- 1 blink / sRecording. Unplug to stop.
- Double blinkStarting up. Ready within a minute.
- SteadyOn a computer (not recording), or stopped because the card is full. Connect here to see which.
- Fast flashProblem: usually the camera cable, or a full card. Connect here to see which.
- OffNo power. Check the cable and that the power bank is on.
Details
Copy recordings to your computer
- Plug in. If asked “Allow accessory to connect?”, click Allow (a late click is fine).
- ANCHOR appears in the Finder sidebar within a minute. Drag the
sessionsfolder to your Mac. - Eject ANCHOR, then unplug.
The drive is read-only, so nothing on it can be changed by accident. “Disk Not Ejected Properly” is harmless here.
- Plug in. ANCHOR appears in File Explorer within a minute. Copy the
sessionsfolder. - Safely Remove Hardware → ANCHOR, then unplug.
If Windows offers to scan and fix the drive, choose Continue without scanning (it is read-only). A new network adapter and COM port also appear: that is the recorder, and normal.
- Plug in. Most desktops mount it at
/media/$USER/ANCHORwithin a minute. cp -r /media/$USER/ANCHOR/sessions ~/anchor/, orrsync -ato resume.
No automount: find it with lsblk -f, then sudo mount -o ro /dev/sdX /mnt (no partition table; mount the disk itself). exFAT, built into Linux 5.7+.
Size: about 11 GB per hour of recording. The cable copies at USB 2.0 speed; for many hours, a USB 3 microSD card reader is faster.
Using the data
Each session folder: left and right H.264 video (1632×1264, 30 fps, one file per minute), one row per camera frame, and IMU samples. Left and right come from the same camera frame and share one timestamp.
IMU timing: samples arrive in bursts inside video frames; each row carries its frame's timestamp (arrival, not sample time) plus a per-sample counter. Raw units and axis directions await confirmation from the camera maker.
Dates: no clock battery. Power-bank sessions have no calendar date; order is in the name (unit_boot_n: power-on count, then recording number). Sessions recorded while connected here get your computer's date.
Camera: about 113° horizontal, 95° vertical, 129° diagonal field of view per eye (measured). Auto exposure and white balance are on. Anti-flicker is set for 50 Hz mains (flicker test in progress); the camera's reported setting is in each manifest.json.
- anchor_load.py: loads a session in Python, pairing video, frame and IMU rows by timestamp (needs
ffmpeg):python3 anchor_load.py sessions/<session> - DATA-SCHEMA.md: every file and column (IMU details included). Also on the ANCHOR drive.
Check that a recording is good
- After copying:
python3 anchor-check.py sessions/<session>(Python 3.9+, ffmpeg). Decodes every video file, compares frame counts, flags frozen or black eyes, prints PASS or FAIL, and savesSHA256SUMSandcheck.json. - Later, anywhere:
python3 anchor-check.py --verify-copy sessions/<session>confirms nothing changed.
Troubleshooting
No ANCHOR drive
- Wait a full minute; it boots first.
- Use a USB-C data cable (the included one works), plugged directly into the computer, not a monitor or unpowered hub.
- macOS, after Don’t Allow: replug, or allow it in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Allow accessories to connect.
Recorder not in the Connect list
- Wait until the light stays on, then try again. Close other programs or tabs using the recorder.
- Linux:
sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER, then log out and in. ModemManager may hold the port for a few seconds; wait 10 s. Ubuntu's Chromium snap also needssudo snap connect chromium:raw-usb. - Safari, Firefox and phones cannot connect to the recorder; recording and copying work without this page.
Does not record on the power bank
- Some power banks switch off at low current: use one that stays on, or press its button after plugging in.
- Fast flashing light: connect here to see why.
Session shows FAIL or “stopped by unplugging”
Unplugging is the normal way to stop; anchor-check accepts the short last file it leaves. For a FAIL, send us the reasons it printed and that session's manifest.json, events.jsonl and health.jsonl.
Get help
Live support