Big Data Digest ProductionSource: MediumTranslated by: Zhang Qiuyue, CoolboyDuring the pandemic, many people started working from home and had to buy a webcam. The author of this article also bought one, which is the first webcam he has purchased since the 21st century.Now, webcams available on the market only require plugging in to start high-definition live streaming. However, these webcams have become increasingly boring, making him nostalgic for some classic models.So, he decided to take matters into his own hands and put a Raspberry Pi inside an Apple iSight, creating an enhanced version of a webcam that surprisingly has better image quality than the built-in camera of a MacBook??Let’s find out what happened, along with the Digest bug.Let’s start from 2003. At that time, the iPod was quite popular, everyone was listening to OutKast’s Hey Ya, and white plastic e-readers were also common. At the same time, Apple was selling a camera called iSight. This product had a nice appearance and came with a travel pouch and different sizes of stands.You can find the product image here:http://www.minimallyminimal.com/blog/apple-isightSince 2006, Apple has not sold iSight anymore. It’s been 17 years, and no camera uses a resolution of 640×480 anymore—these days, even mobile app icons are that big. Do you remember the Firewire interface? I certainly don’t.This photo was taken using three Daisy chain adapters.In 2020, video resolution has reached 4K (or at least HD). And I don’t even know who doesn’t use USB anymore. The industrial design of iSight is indeed beautiful, but its internal components are over a decade old. I need to find a way to compensate for this.First, I bought an unopened vintage iSight camera on eBay. The packaging is a perfect cube. Dismantling the camera is very simple, you can follow this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l0kpQ_2rj4
Why not just put a computer running Linux inside?After removing the original components, I started to think about what to put inside. I tried several new camera modules, but none fit. However, I thought, why not just put a Linux system in? The Raspberry Pi Zero fits almost perfectly with the iSight, and it only costs $5.Recently, Raspberry Pi released a High Quality Camera, and I really wanted to use it in the iSight, but it’s too big for the iSight.So, I opted for the smaller and cheaper old version of the Camera Module V2. For less than $30, I can still shoot 1080p video at 30 frames per second. It just doesn’t have the stronger depth of field and larger lens of the HQ camera.I decided to only keep the externally visible parts of the original iSight components: the perforated aluminum tube, lens cap, and the plastic plugs on the back and bottom. I threw away the camera module, all other electronics, and the frame that held everything together. Before throwing everything away, I carefully measured the size and position of all the accessories so that I could recreate them in my own frame.To create a 3D model of the frame, I opened the 3D design tool Fusion 360, imported the models of the Raspberry Pi and the camera, and sculpted a tube of iSight dimensions around them, with all the necessary threads and grooves. After finishing, I sent the draft for 3D printing and ordered some screws and cables.The finished product achieved a precision of 16µm, which is perfect for fine details like small threads (though you might want to lower the precision to save some money). Again, details are important, even for things that are not visible.Now, the remaining task is to make the Raspberry Pi masquerade as a webcam. Fortunately, this isn’t difficult. Becoming a USB webcam essentially means implementing the UVC standard and redirecting the camera’s video source.David Hunt’s article clearly explains how to do this:http://www.davidhunt.ie/raspberry-pi-zero-with-pi-camera-as-usb-webcam/Then it’s done—reviving the Raspberry Pi inside an old Apple iSight! I decided to name it PiSight.PiSight works just like other cameras, just plug in the USB cable, and the device will show up in video conferencing apps. The image quality is quite good, possibly better than the built-in camera of the new MacBook.If you’ve managed to read this far and don’t think I’m just rambling, and are seriously considering making a PiSight yourself—don’t worry, all the content in this article has been open-sourced.On this GitHub Repo, there is a parts list, purchasing paths, 3D printed frame model, and source code:https://github.com/maxbbraun/pisightThis time, I considered it an experiment, so I had to spend more money on some better materials.I have many good ideas for improvements that I haven’t implemented in this version of PiSight, and I plan to make an upgraded version someday.I still want to fit the Raspberry Pi HQ camera inside—probably will need to design a custom circuit board. I also want the camera to look exactly like the original product, but designing a version with my personal style is also nice.iSight also has a design reminiscent of an iris flower: you can rotate the lens to open it, and the device will automatically open the iChat program (which has also been discontinued). I kept the relevant sensors and plan to think about how to further modify it later.Related reports:
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