By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 09:19 EST, 12 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:44 EST, 12 November 2012 . A gadget-loving father has built a device that lets him keep an eye on his children - wherever he is in the world. Rupert Plumridge, 35, from Bristol, uses a night-vision camera to watch his kids on a live internet feed on his tablet, smartphone or laptop. The webcam can be moved via remote control and has a speaker so that he or his wife Hannah can read their kids a bed time story even when they're out of town. I've got my eye on you, sonny: Rupert Plumridge, with his wife Hannah, daughter Lily, two, and baby Dominic, six-months. The gadget-loving dad has built an app that allows him to keep an eye on his kids online . Mr Plumridge, a research manager at . Lloyds Bank, who has a two-year-old daughter called Lily and six-month . old son called Dominic, said that it cost him around £50 to put together . the device. He first started the project in 2010 after finding similar devices already on the market had only limited features. 'I can view it on my phone anywhere in . the world if you have a mobile network connection. I was in London a . couple of days ago, and I watched my son and daughter going to sleep,' he said. 'Some people might think it's a bit "Big Brother" but it's more just to know they're okay. 'The webcam looks like a glowing eye. It could be a bit freaky but Lily doesn't mind. It reassures her, she . knows mummy and daddy are looking out for her.' Mr Plumridge built his device out of . products already readily available on the market, 'but ones that aren't . actually designed to monitor babies with and thus don't have crazy high . price tags.' The system consists simply of an remote-controllable IP webcam with night-vision connected to his home WiFi network. The camera transmits the feed via an internal web address that can be accessed using an internet browser or media software. Night vision: Views of the live feeds shown by Mr Plumridge's device. He built it from commercially available IP camera gear, and saved a packet on the expensive, dedicated child-watching devices available . Mr Plumridge wrote on his blog: 'It is . certainly a much cheaper and more flexible approach than the dedicated . solutions on the market currently and rather than only being able to . view the video feed on one tiny screen, you can view it on pretty much . any screen you wish pretty much anywhere you want. He added: 'It's not an alternative to a . babysitter but it's really useful if you're away from home and you want . to see your kids. I would definitely recommend it for other parents. 'I think when I'm not there it makes our children feel reassured. 'The webcam has a speaker so that parents can read their kids a bed-time story - but it makes you sound like Darth Vader.'
Rupert Plumridge built the device after finding existing online baby monitors had only limited features .
It includes night vision and a microphone to pick up sounds - as well as a speaker to read the children a bedtime story .
By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 09:19 EST, 12 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:44 EST, 12 November 2012 . A gadget-loving father has built a device that lets him keep an eye on his children - wherever he is in the world. Rupert Plumridge, 35, from Bristol, uses a night-vision camera to watch his kids on a live internet feed on his tablet, smartphone or laptop. The webcam can be moved via remote control and has a speaker so that he or his wife Hannah can read their kids a bed time story even when they're out of town. I've got my eye on you, sonny: Rupert Plumridge, with his wife Hannah, daughter Lily, two, and baby Dominic, six-months. The gadget-loving dad has built an app that allows him to keep an eye on his kids online . Mr Plumridge, a research manager at . Lloyds Bank, who has a two-year-old daughter called Lily and six-month . old son called Dominic, said that it cost him around £50 to put together . the device. He first started the project in 2010 after finding similar devices already on the market had only limited features. 'I can view it on my phone anywhere in . the world if you have a mobile network connection. I was in London a . couple of days ago, and I watched my son and daughter going to sleep,' he said. 'Some people might think it's a bit "Big Brother" but it's more just to know they're okay. 'The webcam looks like a glowing eye. It could be a bit freaky but Lily doesn't mind. It reassures her, she . knows mummy and daddy are looking out for her.' Mr Plumridge built his device out of . products already readily available on the market, 'but ones that aren't . actually designed to monitor babies with and thus don't have crazy high . price tags.' The system consists simply of an remote-controllable IP webcam with night-vision connected to his home WiFi network. The camera transmits the feed via an internal web address that can be accessed using an internet browser or media software. Night vision: Views of the live feeds shown by Mr Plumridge's device. He built it from commercially available IP camera gear, and saved a packet on the expensive, dedicated child-watching devices available . Mr Plumridge wrote on his blog: 'It is . certainly a much cheaper and more flexible approach than the dedicated . solutions on the market currently and rather than only being able to . view the video feed on one tiny screen, you can view it on pretty much . any screen you wish pretty much anywhere you want. He added: 'It's not an alternative to a . babysitter but it's really useful if you're away from home and you want . to see your kids. I would definitely recommend it for other parents. 'I think when I'm not there it makes our children feel reassured. 'The webcam has a speaker so that parents can read their kids a bed-time story - but it makes you sound like Darth Vader.'
can be moved via remote control and has a speaker I've got my eye on you, sonny: Rupert Plumridge, to put together . the device. He first started the project in 2010 after finding similar devices already on the market had only limited features. a bed-time story - but it makes you sound like