While this project did not include any soldering it is still fun and enjoyable. I have made a Naturewatch camera using a Raspberry Pi Zero W and a camera. The software is from Naturewatch.
The idea was to create a camera that senses movement then takes a picture so you can photograph wildlife. Currently the setup is aimed at my bird feeder.
This particular setup is nice because you can interact with the camera through WiFi and not have to go outside and remove the SD card to retrieve the photographs.
Parts List
- $10 Raspberry Pi Zero W From Adafruit
- Raspberry Pi Zero Camera
- 5V 2.5A Power Cord Or Battery
- Tupperware box
- Plastic Bottle
- My Naturewatch Software
- 16GB Or Greater SD Card
Once you have all of the required parts you will need to download the My Naturewatch software and follow their instructions for setting up the Raspberry Pi.
Lastly we put it all together in a tupperware box. First I drilled a hole in the lid for the camera and a hole in the side for my extension cord. Then I drilled a slightly larger hole in the plastic bottle lid. Now glue the bottle lid to the lid so that the holes line up. While you wait for the glue to dry, cut the bottle so you have about a third left. When the glue is dry, screw the bottle into the top. You may need to adjust the size of the bottle once you have everything set up so you don’t get the edges in your photos. Just unscrew to bottle and cut of some with a pair of scissors.
We were able to fit an outdoor extension cord head inside our tupperware box so this supply cable is not out in the elements. If you do not have an outdoor outlet you could use a battery instead.
Once the software is setup and live, connect to your camera WiFi and go the the url http://192.168.50.10/. It should look similar to the photo below.
Here are some photos from the camera.
Bluebird In Flight
Two Finches
Camera Trap