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Documents Episode 465: Lego Raspberry Pi HQ Camera
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  • Author Author: tariq.ahmad
  • Date Created: 15 Sep 2020 7:55 PM Date Created
  • Last Updated Last Updated: 7 Jul 2022 8:27 PM
  • Views 3037 views
  • Likes 19 likes
  • Comments 28 comments
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Episode 465: Lego Raspberry Pi HQ Camera

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Ever thought that kids get much better looking gadgets, or toys look more fun that their real versions? Me too! So we’re going to build a Lego camera into a fully working telephoto camera using a RaspberryPi and the High Quality Camera with 16mm telephoto lens.  Can I make a pretend camera into a real working camera that is actually worth using? Let's find out!

Supplemental Content:

  • GitHub link for the code, wiring guide and lego designs
  • Link to the building instructions, Camera is book 2

Bill of Material:

Product Name Manufacturer Quantity Buy Kit
Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ RASPBERRY-PI 1 Buy Now
RPI-HQ-CAMERA RASPBERRY-PI 1 Buy Now
RPI-16MM-LENS RASPBERRY-PI 1 Buy Now
PIM185 - SHIM LiPo/Li Ion Battery Power Supply Interface Board For Raspberry Pi Pimoroni 1 Buy Now
1578 - Rechargeable Battery, 3.7 V, Lithium Polymer, 500 mAh Adafruit 1 Buy Now
TL1107AF180WQ - SWITCH, TACTILE, SPST, 50mA, 12VDC E-SWITCH 1 Buy Now
Tactile Switch, FSMJ Series, Top Actuated, Through Hole, Round Button, 160 gf, 50mA at 24VDC ALCOSWITCH - TE CONNECTIVITY 1 Buy Now

 

Additional Parts:

 

Product Name
Lego Set 41346
Extra Lego Bricks, List on Github
element14 presents
Lego Raspberry Pi HQ Camera

element14 presents  |  About Katie |  Project Videos

  • raspberry pi hq camera
  • LEGO
  • e14p_KD
  • raspberry pi battery power
  • e14presents_kdumont
  • te connectivity
  • raspberry pi
  • element14 presents
  • 16mm telephoto lens
  • katie
  • programmable logic
  • adafruit
  • Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+
  • friday_release
  • high quality camera
  • e-switch
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Top Comments

  • balearicdynamics
    balearicdynamics over 2 years ago +4
    Genial the idea of gluing the bricks together and then drill them. A good alternative to 3D printing
  • Fred27
    Fred27 over 2 years ago +4
    A nice project combining two great ideas. The Lego abuse with MEK ( Kraggle ) and Dremel was a bit painful though!
  • DAB
    DAB over 2 years ago +3
    Good build and honest appraisal of the result. As an engineer I would say you were functionally successful. DAB
  • beacon_dave
    beacon_dave 10 months ago

    Arducam have a new 64MP camera for the R-Pi which has autofocus which may be of interest if you ever decided to have another go at this.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZmmjNnrrbo

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  • cbohra00627
    cbohra00627 over 2 years ago

    Very interesting project!!!

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  • hifromkatie
    hifromkatie over 2 years ago in reply to remmstr

    This project has no charging inside, I was fairly tight for space. I use a little Adafruit USB C microLipo battery charger to charge my batteries.

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  • remmstr
    remmstr over 2 years ago

    Hey !

    Nice project

    I didn't find how you charge your lipo battery in this episode.

    Is it possible to give me an idea ?

    Thanks !

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  • colporteur
    colporteur over 2 years ago in reply to hifromkatie

    SOLD! I am going to drop an order for a few units and see what we can do.

     

    I have been creating animation projects for model railroad layout for a number of years. Before retiring I pondered what I would do. It was suggested that not working in technology would be something I would consider. I didn't think it was realistic to walk away from something I did for 40 years. I enjoyed working in technology. I didn't particularly like the way it was managed in the company I was working for.

     

    I have worked with Raspberry Pi's for a number of years. I am not a model railroader. Don't see the enjoyment of playing with the trains. It is not something that I am interested in. I started dabbling with my son-in-laws father helping to lay the infrastructure for hi 40X60 ft layout. He hoped to include computers. Now that computer thing piqued my interest.

     

    To date there is a drive-in movie theatre (Pi with 7" screen), 12ft cloud with cloud strike and ground strike lighting and thunder (Pi with mosfets and LED strings), a helicopter run-up and run-down simulation (Pi with L293 motor controllers), office building billboard (Pi and TFT display) and lately light, sound and motion simulations using Nano's and DFPlayer modules and a number of other gizmo's to provide animation.

     

    I have been looking for a small display for sometime. The TFT display is 3.5 inches  and mounts to the Pi. That is rather difficult to work into a roadside billboard. Now your 1.3 inch display that can be attached with a cable looks ideal. I leave the physical construction to the modelers. I focus on the electronics.

     

    If you are interested in the model railroad stuff just send me an email. I have some personal stuff I can share. Thanks again for responding. Finding experience before tackling a job is almost a good as having the experience yourself.

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  • hifromkatie
    hifromkatie over 2 years ago in reply to colporteur

    The image quality is super, I was really impressed by the little screen. I think it'd be great as a little billboard.

    My son loves model trains, he's only got lego one himself at the moment (he's nearly 6), but usually we go to a few model railway exhibitions each year with him, and I think your idea would fit in perfectly on a layout.

     

    The one I used in the camera was actually broken by the time I did the assembly, the top 25% of the screen wasn't displaying correctly.

    The edges of the lcd are very sensitive to heat. I tried to use hot glue to fill the gap between the screen pcb and the lego, but the glue gun made contact with the edge of the screen and damaged it. So make sure you don't put any heat directly on it, if you make a stand to enclose it in you should be fine though.

     

    I'd love to see it when you've made the billboard, I fully imagine my son will want something just like that in a few years when he's down to a smaller scale. For now we're busy installing a lego track around the flowerbeds in the garden!

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  • colporteur
    colporteur over 2 years ago in reply to hifromkatie

    Than you so much for the response.

     

    I found a supplier for the display. Newark is out of stock on the North American side of the pond but I did find another Canadian supplier.

     

    Can I get your insight on image quality? I watched the video a few times and believe the display will work. I plan to use the display for animation on a HO model train railroad layout, highway billboard signs. The display would reside in a stand that looks like a roadside billboard and the Pi would push product advertisement pictures?

     

    I like the fact the display is separate from the Pi. I have used displays that attached directly to the Pi GPIO pinout but it makes for a rather large enclosure.

     

    I'm not looking for magazine quality display but looking at your video the pictures look pretty good. Would you care to comment?

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  • hifromkatie
    hifromkatie over 2 years ago in reply to colporteur

    No problems, not sure why it wasn't included, it was my first video so I probably just missed it as a newbie error!
    It's the Pimoroni PIM476 1.3" SPI LCD.

    If your in the UK then it is available here: https://cpc.farnell.com/pimoroni/pim476/lcd-breakout-1-3-spi-colour/dp/SC15317

    The newark page is here: https://www.newark.com/pimoroni/pim476/1-3-spi-colour-lcd-240x240-breakout/dp/39AH4066  but is currently showing 0 in stock

     

    Let me know if you have any questions, and it'd be great to see you on the Twitch thread if you can make it!

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  • colporteur
    colporteur over 2 years ago

    Can you provide the part number for the display?

     

    I realize this project is last year. I found the link researching for an upcoming element14 Presents Live Twitch Stream: Lego Raspberry Pi HQ Camera. The display shown in the video is smaller than I have used and would like to investigate.

     

    Can you provide a manufacture and part number for display?

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  • hifromkatie
    hifromkatie over 2 years ago in reply to cchaves

    It would have been handy if I'd had a bigger screen as I could have displayed the battery level better and other useful information such a image number. Touch would have opened up more options for control and zooming too, and the possibility of menus and options. I picked this LCD because I wanted to keep things the same as the original toy camera, and screen was pretty much the same size as the original sticker.

    However if I was going to do any upgrades to the camera in the future, or rebuild it then I think I'd pick a screen like your suggestion, as it would make life much easier! image

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