Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera Controller

Completed ~2013

Electrical vs Mechanical

When it comes to hands-on exhibits, I usually favor mechanical solutions over electrical because mechanical methods are more obvious to the user, often allow for wider exploration, and often require less maintenance.  However, there are times when circuits make sense.

Project Brief

I was tasked with creating a camera setup that would allow visitors to remotely view birds at a feeder.  Unable to find a kid-proof control interface, I created a controller that allows a pair of Suzo Happ analog joysticks to control a Sony EVID70 commercial grade pan-tilt-zoom camera.

The software allows a technician to easily change various parameters (such as maximum zoom, pan/tilt ranges) with a laptop via a serial interface.

Code

Check out the code on github! Disclaimer: it's some of the first code that I'd ever written. It works, but it's not pretty 😅