Build your own Raspberry Pi night vision camera
A Raspberry Pi Zero W, Pimoroni HyperPixel screen, and Raspberry Pi IR Camera Module are all you need to build this homemade night vision camera.
Raspberry Pi night vison camera
Built into the body of an old camera flash, Dan’s Raspberry Pi night vision camera is a homage to a childhood spent sneaking around the levels of Splinter Cell. Says Dan:
The iconic image from the game is the night vision goggles that Sam Fisher wears. I have always been fascinated by the idea that you can see in the dark and this formed the foundation of my idea to build a portable hand-held night vision piece of equipment.
The camera, running on Raspbian, boasts several handy functions, including touchscreen controls courtesy of the Pimoroni HyperPixel, realtime video and image capture, and a viewing distance of two to five metres.
It’s okay to FAIL
Embracing the FAIL (First Attempt In Learning) principle, Dan goes into detail about the issues he had to overcome while building the camera, which is another reason why we really enjoyed this project. It’s okay to fail when trying your hand at digital making, because you learn from your mistakes! Dan’s explanations of the struggles he faced and how he overcame them are ?.
For a full rundown of the project and tips on building your own, check out its Hackster.io page.
4 comments
James Carroll
A very interesting project, I really like ones like this. One thing I think the foundation should look at if possible is offering a better camera. The V2 Camera Module came out a while back and a better camera with more options would be really nice to have. Maybe offer a higher priced version as well. A standard one and a premium one for projects that need it.
Carson
Interesting approach. I am not so coding clever or experienced.
I used the same camera with a Pi Zero W, using MotioneyeOS, placing it in the head of an outdoor Owl ornament. Could record, review live, video and snapshots, accessible from desktop via WiFi, or internet from anywhere in the world. Also has the ability to email any alerts if set.
The two illuminators have a reddish glow, that scared the animals and birds for about a week. Later two curious raccoons came and attacked one Owl.
I concealed others in Bird Houses, even a short section of PVC pipe. They are unobtrusive and not noticed, providing home security.
MotioneyeOS will flip one camera to the next or you can have a multi view of all cameras.
Ed Wagaman
This sounds like a good project, especially with the wi-fi capabilities. Do you have a set of plans and/or parts list?
Sofia
If anybody is facing any kind of issue regarding the Raspberry Pi night vision camera, then just do visit the camera. It is really very informative and provides full guidance on how to build and use a camera on Raspberry Pi. As an alternative source, I will recommend https://netgears.support/blog/fix-arlo-camera-offline-issues/ too.