This page collects different ways to use Raspberry Pi computer boards (and related boards) to make small, cheap, lightweight cameras for different purposes, including #aerial-mapping, #balloon-mapping, #kite-mapping, #timelapse and #spectrometry. ## Raspberry Pi Simple Camera Kit We've [been working on some software](https://github.com/publiclab/image-builder-rpi/) for this widely used mini camera-and-computer in a tiny box (especially the lightweight "Zero W" model) to make it available with a **pre-flashed SD card** that turns this into a **ready-to-use WiFi enabled camera**. This gets over many of the barriers of using the regular Raspberry Pi kit and having to do a lot of programming/installing to get it running. We've managed to get a **plug and play** version running! Just plug it in using a Micro USB cable (or battery pack) and it'll create a WiFi network called "00PiCamera" -- password "publiclab" -- which you can log into from your phone or laptop. You'll quickly see streaming video, be able to take photos, timelapses, or videos, do motion triggered capture, and more: * [Pi Camera Kit](https://store.publiclab.org/products/raspberry-pi-camera) * [Infragram Pi Camera Kit](https://store.publiclab.org/products/infragram-pi-camera) * our [Microscope Pi kits](https://store.publiclab.org/collections/microscopes) use this as well * [Pre-flashed SD cards for Raspberry Pi cameras](https://store.publiclab.org/products/pi-builder-cards) * combine with (maybe?) [CR123a lithium battery](https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=cr123a) (and tell us how that goes!) For more on the open source Pi Builder software that made this possible, [see this blog post](/notes/icarito/10-21-2018/introducing-pi-builder) and [troubleshoot on this wiki page](/pi-builder) [notes:grid:activity:pi-camera-setup] **** ## Questions Questions can be either frequently asked questions, or "next step" challenges we're looking to solve. [questions:pi-camera] ## Activities Activities show how to use this project, step by step. [activities:pi-camera] **** ### Resources * Camera module http://m.e-cantonfair.com/#/product/552106 * Focus tricks https://raspi.tv/2013/adapt-your-raspberry-pi-camera-for-close-up-use * Very detailed documentation https://elinux.org/Rpi_Camera_Module * Datasheets and very detailed documentation on v1 camera: https://github.com/techyian/MMALSharp/wiki/OmniVision-OV5647-Camera-Module * Datasheets and very detailed documentation on v2 camera: https://github.com/techyian/MMALSharp/wiki/Sony-IMX219-Camera-Module...
| Author | Comment | Last activity | Moderation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| warren | " @molangmuir10 @silentsairam @kayrufty take a look at this post -- this is not super elegant but just looking for fast and very lightweight ways to..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| warren | " Hi, just checking in on this awesome old post! Noting that we now have an automated SD card image generator with WiFi video streaming at the #pi-b..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| warren | " Hi! Just noting that this software stack I mentioned above is configured to run headlessly and to send video over WiFi, including NDVI processing:..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| warren | " Hi! Noting this project which may be of interest: https://gitlab.com/bath_open_instrumentation_group/picamera_cra_compensation And pinging @magg..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| warren | " Hi @silentsairam - if you've tested it out and are confident that it'll be taking timelapse photos for up to 1 hour reliably, i think you can go f..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| silentsairam | " @warren Do I really need to use Cannon or Go Pro external camera along with Rpi Camera and Rpi? Will it be possible to capture Aerial images from ..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| Ag8n | " Dumb question, but what bandwidth do you need for the video signal? " | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| warren | " Whoa, what if the strainer were the protective enclosure for the camera itself??? I'll copy that idea back to the post I just made about pi rigs. ..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| warren | " Whoa, what if the strainer were the protective enclosure for the camera itself??? " | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| Bronwen | " I really love that mesh strainer! I was also thinking about this some-- it seems like it might be reasonably easy to extend the antenna on the Ras..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| warren | " " | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| warren | "Regarding improving wifi signal to the Pi while in the air, this should be a separate question I guess? But linking: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=chi..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| warren | " @molangmuir10 @silentsairam @kayrufty take a look! " | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| molangmuir10 | "Hi Bronwen - I posted you the below question because it wasn't working but then after about half an hour the pi wifi connected!! So all good :) Des..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| molangmuir10 | " Hi Bronwen, great! I will try this afternoon and let you know! " | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| jenjimah | " Hi Warren, Sure I'd be happy to try to add that in, it's only 2 files that need to be updated after all. However before that, there are a few thin..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| warren | " This is great! Indeed, this is a good approach, although I found that not all computers could use an internet gadget either without drivers, it's ..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| jenjimah | "I did this! Hardware: Raspberry Pi Zero W Software: Raspbian Stretch Lite, Windows 10 (on PC) Connection: USB configured as ethernet device; SSH i..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| Bronwen | " Hi @molangmuir10 -- yes! You can get to the software from this page here: https://publiclab.org/wiki/pi-builder Let us know how it goes! FYI, som..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| molangmuir10 | " This is great! And so much simpler. I didn't realise they were 'plug-and-play'! I tried to program and configure mine, so I over-wrote your progra..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| petter_mansson1 | " Hello, my input might guide you in the right direction. Different environments require different settings so it might be hard to generalize. I did..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| jenjimah | " Thanks for the link! I also wasn't able to use the wifi method of connecting so I also connected over usb. I had to follow the whole tutorial from..." | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| baungaard | " This is so cool :smiley: " | Read more » | almost 5 years ago | |||
| warren | " @molangmuir10 @silentsairam @kayrufty check this out! " | Read more » | almost 5 years ago |