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In this video I will explain in a few minutes what is the Photoduino Project
Photoduino is an electronic camera controller based on Arduino
Photoduino can control SLR cameras
with a remote shutter connector like this.
In this case the remote shutter is through a "Jack Stereo" connector
each camera brand implements a different connector
but with similar operation.
It is also capable of controlling two manual flashes like this two.
The system is based on the Arduino platform.
And this is the board "Photoduino Shield" that is connected to the Arduino board as well
implemented within the board all connectors needed to connect
the two flashes, the camera and sensors that now I will explain.
It also has a standard LCD display for all interaction and configuration
and sensors of different types.
Have an impact sensor, which is made with a piezo-electric speaker
Also implements an infrared barrier
composed of an infrared LED and an infrared photodiode
that allow us to take photos when is interrupted.
It also have a laser barrier
made with a laser pointer like this
and a LDR (light dependant resistor) like this in my left hand.
The other sensor is a sound sensor
made with a Electret microphone.
The whole system is mounted in a box you see here mechanized
for LCD, connectors and the different sensors,
connectors for flashes and a connector for the camera
here is the USB connector and the power supply connector for Arduino
and two buttons for configuration.
You going to see the rest of this video with the system mounted inside the box.
With all the connections inside the box
see here we have all the connectors, buttons, the LCD, ...
and now we can start using it.
first we do, is connect the power supply
and the first thing we always see is the firmware release installed on the board
pushing any button we enter to the config menu
The first option is the system configuration, that is very small
here we can turn ON/OFF the LCD display backlight
that you can not perceive because the ambient light I have
And also turn ON/OFF the speaker
that is emitting the small beeps you hear.
The rest of menu are the different run modes.
Each run mode has its own config parameters..
..independents of the rest that are saved in EEPROM to..
..avoid losing, when power is off.
The first mode that I will explain is the interval mode
that allows us to take photos every "n" time so that we can make "time-lapse" videos
or take lightning photos, making multiple photos until get the desired picture
As all run modes has three options:
"Config", "Run" and "Reset config"
If we see the configuration we have different parameters..
..we can enable or disable the use of flashes,..
..set the autofocus time, the time between each flash,...
I will not go into details because this is a introduction demo.
The first thing, I set the interval units, by default are in seconds
but we can set it to minutes, hours and days.
I'll leave it in seconds ...
Let's set the interval value, how often we take a picture.
Let's set it in 4 seconds ...
once we have set we put in the "run" option ..
with our cable, we connect Photoduino
and this will connect to the remote shutter of the camera ...
... I set to "Run" ...
now see it takes a photo
..and now another...
it does every 4 seconds as we have indicated.
In this way we can establish the camera at a fixed point..
and taking pictures every "n" time and then make a video
or as I said, automate catching lightning.
The next run mode is the "audio trigger"
This trigger occurs when a sound exceeds the limit we define
.. Connect the microphone to your connection ..
.. We are in configuration to the sensor limit where we see a small arrow
that tells us what's the point in which the camera will shoot
we set it to the point current point
and the arrow indicates that the limit is above that value
.. We have established the "run", you see is shooting because I'm speaking ..
.. But if I do not speak, does not shoot ..
.. it takes the picture when listen sound of the lighter ..
This allows us to perform different photo types such as ...
.. water balloons at time it explode ..
or any glass object breaking, etc ...
The next run mode is the "barrier mode".
There are two types of barriers: The Laser barrier and the infrared barrier
As you can see we have a connector for laser and one for an infrared LED
and this one can be used for both LDR that works with the laser
and for the photodiode that works with the infrared barrier
We have formed a barrier with an LED emitter and an LED receiver, the two are infrared ..
..So even though you do not see, there is a light that binds..
We have our camera connected to Photoduino and the transmitter and receiver connected too.
In config of sensor limit of the barrier it indicates the amount of light reaching
and as you see, if I interrupt the barrier, don't receive sufficient light and it beeps
and if set to "Run", you see when I interrupt, the camera takes the photo.
The application of such barriers is for example, take pictures of water droplets ..
.. So that we can do that when the water droplet interrupts the barrier, if we calculate the time it takes to touch the surface ..
..through the Photoduino config set the moment when you take the picture.
The photo can be made through the camera
or through the flashes, although I have not yet demonstrated
can be configured in all run modes
This would be the laser barrier
Here you see that I mounted a laser pointer
and at the other end I mounted the LDR
for establishing a barrier between them through laser.
The good thing about the laser barrier is that it allows longer barriers than infrared
because the laser has more reach than infrared diode
Just as in the infrared barrier I set to "Run"
and see that when you break the barrier the picture is taken
You can see that when breaks the barrier the laser turns off to not be in the picture
Such barriers can be used to take animal photos or any object that cross the barrier
The next run mode is the "shock mode"
as the rest, has own settings
and the sensor used is the piezo-electric speaker
if we go to the config of the sensor limit, when impact on the sensor, it beeps
the same way as before, set to "Run"..
when it occurs the impact, the picture is taken
With type of sensor is sufficient an impact on the surface it is
and the last execution mode we have so far
(Because Photoduino firmware is constant evoluting)
is the "flash slave mode"
We can shoot both flashes when a third flash fires
This mode would not serve to shoot the camera
using the light sensor ...
so that when we set to "Run" ..
have connected the flash to the flash connector..
the LDR will fire the flash when receive more light than it is on the sensor limit
if for example, turn on the lighter ...
you see the flash fired
This allows us to remotely control flashes when the main flash fires
And that's all folks, I hope you liked it and you enter the web http://www.photoduino.com
to continue making this project a so interesting project.