How do I attach a camera to my robot?

Everyone wants a camera on their robot. But don't kid yourself, camera vision is *hard*.
If you've never built a robot before, don't even think about it. But at some point you're
going to be up for the challenge and I'm here to help you. First, read all about computer
vision basics, Then when you're ready, let's continue on to go over your options:

The first option is using a camera with a microcontroller. But a microcontroller alone
won't have the processing power to do vision. Instead, you need to buy a camera that
does dedicated onboard image processing. There are three on the market, the CMUcam
(three versions), the AVRcam, and the Blackfin. Prices range from about $100 to $300,
so they aren't for tight budgets. Your microcontroller will also require an available UART
for interfacing (check the datasheet).

The CMUcam has been around the longest, and in fact I've used it on two of my robots:
Taurus2 and Pikachu. I've posted Taurus2 source code to interface the original CMUcam
with the PIC16F877. My biggest complaint about the original CMUcam is a firmware
bug that causes it to crash if the blue color maxes out (such as in bright sunlight)
[download bug error]. The CMUcam2 and CMUcam3 are more 'open source' and come
with more features, but are more expensive. I haven't used the newest versions, though.
The creator of the CMUcam, at least a few years ago, answered my emails and helped me
through my interfacing troubles.

The AVRcam, in terms of features, is comparable to the CMUcam2. I almost ended up

buying it too, but despite it being 'open source', there is no actual open source community
on the web for it. I couldn't find any interface code for it, the AVRcam forum blocks new
members, and the creator ignores my emails. No support, therefore I passed it up.

The Blackfin is the newest of the bunch, and the one I'm currently using on my
Experimental Robot Platform. I've also posted source code to interface the Blackfin with
my Axon microcontroller. It's still lacking a bit in features and documentation as of this
writing, but the creator is actively developing and improving it daily. He is also *very*
responsive in terms of support. If you post a question in the SoR Forum, he'll be quick to
answer it.

Your second option is to interface a webcam with your laptop/PC. Since you probably
own both of these already, this is your cheapest option. But you might not want to put
your laptop on a robot that crashes into walls . . . Just download RoboRealm and you're
set to go!

Your last option, the easiest of the three, is best for remote control robots. In this option,
you buy a wireless camera (you can find them really cheap on EBay). Then using the
receiver that came with the camera, attach it to an old analog TV for viewing. Now that
TV's are soon to be legally required to be digital, there will be tons of analog types
available ultra cheap.

More info can be found in this forum post.

update: a new camera you should investigate is the NXTCam v2