When I was a child, I spent a lot of time playing “Splinter Cell”. This game often required sneaking around in shadows, where light and sound were essential for completing various tasks.
The most impressive aspect of the game was the night vision goggles worn by the agent Sam Fisher. Therefore, I became fascinated with the ability to see things clearly in the dark and had the idea to create a portable night vision device…
Functional Requirements:
Ability to observe objects in the dark (2 to 5 meters)
Graphical user interface for operation
10 different functional buttons
Convenient handle
Adjustable to the best viewing angle.
Ability to save live video
Ability to take photos
Main Idea:
The core of this night vision device is an infrared camera (infrared allows you to take photos and videos in the dark), I bought an old handheld camera flash as the basis for the night vision device.
The Raspberry Pi Zero W is compact and fits perfectly inside this flash case, with enough space to support the HyperPixel screen and camera. It also has a tilting handle, which means you can adjust the night vision angle and it is easy to carry.
Core Hardware:
1. Raspberry Pi Zero W
2. Raspberry Pi Camera NoIR Camera V2
3. Touchscreen HyperPixel 4.0
Code Repository:
https://github.com/IoToutpost/Night-Vision
After deploying the program, you can place a shortcut on the desktop for quick access.
Functions of the Ten Buttons:
Preview for 10 seconds
Preview for 30 seconds
Preview for 60 seconds
Preview for 5 minutes
Preview for 10 minutes
Preview for 15 minutes
Take a photo
Record a 10-second video
Maintain preview (no time limit)
Exit/Shutdown
Since the default gray is too bright in the dark, I changed the buttons to a black background with green text.
Alright, let’s take a look at the effect.
Editor’s Note: The HyperPixel 4.0 touchscreen used here seems to be incompatible with Raspbian Buster released in August 2019, it is recommended to use Raspbian Stretch.
The original handheld camera flash had no place to display the touchscreen, so the author used a knife to gradually cut away the plastic at the top, creating the irregular display area. DIY really tests one’s skills…
Source: TeCoEd.co.uk
Author: TeCoEd
Translation: Wang Wenwen, former editor-in-chief of the 51CTO security channel, RedHat certified engineer, Huawei HCIP-IoT certified engineer.
