15 Applications & Implications

Assignment

  1. Propose a final project that integrates the range of units covered.
    Projects can be separate or joint, but need to show individual mastery of all of the skills.
    Where possible, you should make rather than buy the parts of your project

Final Project Proposal

A Sony A6000 camera manipulation system to obtain optimized panoramic photos using the Sony built-in feature.

What will it do?

It will trigger and rotate the camera to obtain a complete panoramic photo using the Sony panoramic built-in feature.
In the current setup, this is done manually by panning the camera while pressing the shutter button. When the timing or pan is not optimal, it will result in in-complete pictures.

Who's done what beforehand?

  • Camera dolly system (pans for movie)
  • Auto panoramic picture taker (multiple photo overlaps)

What materials and components will be required?
Where will they come from?
Wow much will it cost?
What parts and systems will be made?
What processes will be used?

Unit Materials/Components Cost Made/Bought Processes Used
2 Stepper Motors 50 Bought
Salvaged
2 Microcontroller Boards 10 Made Embedded
1 IR triggering circuit 10 Made Output
(Custom code used by Sony, need to be detected and duplicated)
1 USB interface
Proprietary		 4 Made Output
Uses a 10-pin MicroUSB connector
1 I2C OLED Panel 5 Bought Output, Networking
2 Motor controller boards 5 Made Output, Networking
1 Timing circuitry 4 Made Output, Processing
1 Triggering circuitry 4 Made Input
1 Housing and camera body plate for tripod mount 10 Made 3D design, milling
1 Battery power source & adapter 10 Made Embedded
Estimated cost $50 Revised from use of salvaged parts

What tasks need to be completed?

  • Testing of the IR/USB triggers to camera
  • Timing circuitry
  • Motor control for optimal pan
  • Networking of nodes to main controller
  • Design & construction of microcontroller boards
  • 3D design and fabrication of housing
  • Testing and measurements
  • Documentation

What questions need to be answered?

  • What IR/USB codes are requried to trigger the camera?
  • What is the optimal pan/rotate angle per second?
  • How smooth can the panning process be?
  • What is to be displayed ?
  • How are the boards going to communicate with each other?
  • How much power is required to operate the project?

What is the schedule?

  • 25 May - Obtain IR trigger, motor parameters, test OLED
  • 1 June - Combine and finalise design
  • 8 June - Fabricate, build, test, document
  • 22 June - Burn midnight oil if nothing works!
  • 24 June - Final presentations

How will it be evaluated?

  • Successful triggering of the camera using IR or USB
  • Optimal & smooth motion of camera across pan
  • Display of options, parameters on OLED
  • Picture taken has no black edges indicating optimal shot

Topics

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