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Top - Green; Bottom - Green: Indicates this is the Primary Marker |
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Top - Green; Bottom - Solid Red: Indicates that recording is in progress |
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Top - Green; Bottom - No LED: Indicates this is a Secondary Marker |
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Top - Green; Bottom - Flashing Red: Marker is looking for the base |
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Both Flashing Red: Battery Low or needs Firmware update |
The Primary Marker has three functions within the system:
- Tracking (via infrared)
- Audio Capture (built-in microphone)
- Control of the App/Device (buttons)
The Secondary markers traditionally serve as additional sources of audio collection and pressing buttons on these markers will not interfere with the recording session.
Buttons
Center Button: The Center Button can be set to perform a couple of actions within the Swivl app in the Settings menu. By default, the center button is used to pause or un-pause tracking.- Pause Tracking: Pressing the Center Button will pause tracking, meaning the Swivl robot will no longer follow you until you enable tracking again. This is a useful feature if you need the Swivl to remain still while adjusting settings on your Swivl app on your device. Note that pausing tracking will not pause a recording session if one has already started. The recording will continue, but the robot will remain still. You will need to press the center button again to resume tracking.
- 360° Video: Pressing the Center Button will cause the Swivl base to do a complete turn to pan around the room.
Directional Pad: The Right and Left buttons can do a couple of things. During Live Listening if you are using multiple secondary markers, you can listen to specific student groups live. Otherwise, if you have uploaded slides to your Swivl app, you can control the slides that you are presenting by using the Right and Left arrows. Right will advance to the next slide, Left will go back to the previous slide. More features coming soon!
You can also use Right and Left, Up and Down buttons for manual tracking: press and hold the directional arrow you need for a few seconds and Swivl starts moving in the direction you choose. You can press Center button to stop tracking at any point and thus fixing camera in a specific position. Press Center button again to resume tracking or adjust robot positioning.
Record Button: Tapping the red button on the side of the marker will initiate recording within the Swivl app. Tapping it again will stop the recording with default settings.If you end the recording you will have to start another one by tapping the record button. Swivl is recording when the red light on the Primary marker remains lit.
Note that you can set your Primary marker record button to start and pause recording.
Marker Colours
The Marker Packs come with sets of 5 pairs of dot stickers, 2 of each color: Red, Blue, Orange, Purple, and Green. When you pair the additional markers to your Swivl Robot, the Swivl app will prompt you to assign a color to each Secondary Marker. When you choose a colour in the app, apply the stickers of the same colour to each side of the marker to track which color you chose.
1 thought on “A Deep Dive into Swivl Marker Functions”
David Powell
Does SWIVL support a direct video and audio output so that it can be used as a Teams or Zoom webcam/audio source? That would be for me the ideal minimal video streaming solution for a typical teacher saddled with a hybrid onsite/remote teaching situation. Just get the camera to follow the teacher around and always have good sound. It seems though that SWIVL instead promote their proprietary cloud space for finished recordings.