Build your own webcam with a Pi Zero 2W and a Cam Module 3
Enjoying the View
© Lead Image © Alexandar Sidorov, 123RF.com
Combine a Raspberry Pi Zero and the new Raspberry Pi Cam 3 to create your own cost-effective, energy-saving webcam.
Cameras are everywhere these days, including in many technical devices. Often networked as IP cameras, they can be found in home intercom or room surveillance systems. Some webcams show you views of faraway places that you might want to visit on vacation. But what if you want to publish live images that provide information about your home location and register your weather camera on public sites?
This is exactly how my project came about: a webcam based on a Raspberry Pi that is just as simple as it is reliable and also consumes little power. The idea was for the device (Figure 1) not to take up too much space so that it can be attached to a window frame behind the pane.
The Raspberry Pi Zero 2W in combination with the new Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 was just what the doctor ordered. The whole setup is controlled by a Python script. The do-it-yourself cam is within range of the home WLAN and only requires a power supply. The bottom line is that the complete webcam cost just EUR50 (~$54).
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