OmniCamera

thingiverse

Employing a low-cost Christmas ball ornament as a reflector, an omnidirectional camera is constructed using thin struts instead of clear tubes to avoid glare issues associated with uncoated glass. This DIY project is intended for a future telepresence robot and may also be used on an autonomous power wheels vehicle. The design can be found on Github for more up-to-date information, while a Logitech HD C510 webcam allows 360-degree viewing. To build the camera, print plastic components, cut metal struts from sheet steel or extruded aluminum, assemble internal webcam parts, add a glass square and epoxy, and mount it on a PVC pipe. The .dxf file for metal (and glass) cutting is exportable from OpenSCAD, which also prints calculated strut length based on user input. Printing may commence tonight.