Bird Nest Spy Cam

thingiverse

This has been on my mind for a while now, and I wanted my daughter to witness how birds nest and feed their young. So, I decided to build a "Spy Cam Module" for bird nests. It's a relatively simple print. To get this up and running, you'll need the following: 2019-03-02: I updated the design because the old one allowed big bugs in, and they got cozy on the Raspberry Pi. This new version should be bug-free. I also changed it so that you can set the focus on the IR-camera without disassembling the whole thing. You can simply remove the transparent plastic from outside to access the camera lens that way. Additionally, I added a transparent plastic in front of the LEDs. Now, you can diffuse the LEDs if you want. The top-plate is more robust now, and I've added a small door for the cable to enter through. I'm using big waterproof connectors, which have to go through the nest wall, resulting in a large hole that the door will cover. I've also switched to Zero W instead of having a Wi-Fi Dongle. 2017-03-24: I removed lights.zip and replaced it with leds.zip. For some reason, the old script stopped working when updating to the latest version of MotionEyeOS. So, I decided to make the LEDs turn on and off via sh scripts that run via cron instead. Check out the scripts for more information. 2017-03-07: I added live streams at http://nest.snille.net. 2017-01-10: I updated the case a bit; it was too big when I glued the bird nest together. I also added small locks for the back, making it more stable. All four nests will be placed in trees soon, just waiting for the last RPiZ. Hardware: Birds Nest (I'm using this one): https://www.rusta.com/se/fagelholk-p756601270101.aspx Zero W: https://thepihut.com/collections/raspberry-pi/products/raspberry-pi-zero-w Raspberry Pi NoIR Camera module: https://thepihut.com/collections/raspberry-pi-camera/products/raspberry-pi-noir-camera-module Pi Zero Cam Adapter: https://thepihut.com/collections/raspberry-pi-camera/products/raspberry-pi-zero-camera-adapter Bright Pi: https://www.pi-supply.com/product/bright-pi-bright-white-ir-camera-light-raspberry-pi/ USB hub with Ethernet (optional, but makes life easier when setting up): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0J2-001S-00071 You'll also need two small pieces of transparent plastic to cover the camera lens and LEDs. Cut it from any annoying packing material. You'll have to solder a bit; the PI headers and Bright-Pi are kits, but they're easy to build. I observe that I solder the angled header pins in the wrong direction a bit tilted to save space on top. It's possible to use straight ones, but it will be tight. Then, there's the software: MotionEyeOS: https://github.com/ccrisan/motioneyeos/wiki Some small scripts to turn off and on the LEDs (in the zip). Start with building the hardware; all parts are just snap in place or push together. Then install MotionEyeOS on a microSD Card. Check out the MotionEyeOS Wiki for loads of good information. Use my scripts (or not) to turn the LEDs on and off. You can even skip soldering them if you want...