Smart Shutter

Project Description

This project was sponsored by MIT in order to test their project tracking website, Build In Progress.

The concept of the project is pretty simple, I knew my Canon Rebel T3i had an input for a remote trigger and I didn’t want to spend the money to buy one and I didn’t really need one a the time. Once I got interested in macro photography, that changed as I needed a way to trigger the shutter without touching the camera. The self timer didn’t work as more often than not I found myself taking photos of insects and they would always escape by the time the timer went off.

Basically, the Smart Shutter is an Arduino that triggers the camera’s focus and shutter. It’s controlled via Bluetooth Serial from an Android App that I wrote. It allows me to take photos with my DSLR using my phone with very little delay.

Final Post With Videos: Explains the system and shows a demo of it’s use.


Development Log

PC -> Bluetooth module Serial Communication: More of a reminder for myself, this post shows you how to get serial going between a PC and an Arduino over Bluetooth

Android for Processing Installation: Shows you how to start writing custom apps for Android using Processing!

Bluetooth Communication Between Android and Arduino using Processing: The code for the App and the Arduino sketch powering this project.

Please check out the project on Build In Progress as well here. It shows a lot more of the detailed steps for this project.

 

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