Hi Pen,
I just watched your presentation you gave on camera traps during the May community call. Very interesting! I think we can do some work together.
I’m also interested in interfacing with camera traps, but the other way around: I would like my acoustic recorder to be able to trigger the camera trap. In my application, there would be just 1 camera trap. In your application, there would be 2 (for stereo photography). I think there are several advantages to this backwards approach.
Multiple sensors can be used, with their outputs logically ORed, and different types of sensors can be used concurrently (e.g. endotherms may need to be treated differently).
Sensors can be positioned at some distance from the camera, thereby extending the detection range. For fast moving animals along a trail, 2 sensors can be placed before and after the camera traps.
Since the cameras are triggered from the same source(s), the images captured will be automatically synchronised.
Camera traps can already do IR out of the box.
A relatively dumb sensor system can be used, probably no need even for a microcontroller.
The native motion sensor on the camera can be blindfolded instead of being disabled permanently, or it can be used in parallel with other deployed motion sensors*
Camera inter-ocular distance can be varied over a wide range.
I fully agree with your point about not reinventing the camera trap! And I fully agree with your point about the ruggedising of the final product! We can take advantage of the fact that the camera trap is already a weatherproof optical instrument.
Hacking the camera trap does not seem too difficult. There is a lot of space in it. I’ve been able to bring the trigger signal out to light an LED, and I’ve also been able to parallel a pushbutton switch to inject a trigger signal manually and at will.
I envision inserting a small circuit (on a custom PCB) into the camera trap, which circuit intercepts the trigger signal, and which accepts multiple signal sources.
Inserting this circuit into the camera will take some skill, however. But it won’t be more difficult than regular board level repair.
- I need to verify that this is true for other camera traps.