Introduction: Arduino Camera Man
In this Instructable I will show you how to build a simple device that you can use to control the orientation of a camera to follow your movements.
How it Works:
Your cellphone has an orientation sensor in it, aka a Compass. Using an App designed using MIT App Inventor we will use this compass to determine your orientation to the camera and then transmit this information to the Arduino via Bluetooth. The Arduino will rotate the camera which is mounted to a Servo Motor toward the phone.
Watch the Demo of the Arduino Camera Man on YouTube
Step 1: Wiring It Up
First we will need to wire everything up.
Let's start with the servo motor.
You should have three wires coming from the Servo.
Ground- usually Black or Brown.
VCC - usually Red
Signal - usually Yellow or Orange
Connect the Ground wire to - Arduino GND
Connect VCC to - Arduino 5V
Connect Signal to - Arduino pin 9
Tip - You could choose to power the Servo Motor externally using a battery instead of the Arduino, if your servo motor is large or the camera is heavy the Arduino may not be able to supply enough amperage to power the servo motor and could damage the Arduino
Step 2: Wiring Up the Bluetooth Module
Next we need to hook up the Bluetooth Module
GND connects to - Arduino GND
VCC connects to - Arduino 5V
TXD connects to - Arduino pin 10
RXD connects to - Arduino pin 11
Tip: I am using the HC-06 Bluetooth module which can handle 3.6 volts to 6 volts. Also, when connecting your cellphone to the bluetooth module for the first time make sure to make your phone is visible when searching for a new bluetooth device to connect to. When asked to enter a pin code, most bluetooth modules use "1234" or sometimes "0000"
Step 3: Download the Arduino Code and the App
Next we will need to download the Arduino Code from Github
You can get it here
https://github.com/mkconer/CameraMan
Next, you will need to download the App from MIT App Inventor
You can get it here
ai2.appinventor.mit.edu/?galleryId=6409767014760448
or you can search the App Inventor Gallery by searching for "Arduino Camera Man"
Step 4: Optional 3d Printed Camera Mount
If you happen to have the same or similar camera you can download the 3d printer file here at Thingiverse