Programmable Wildlife / Security / Timelapse Camera Projects with an ESP-32 CAM

День тому

This video describes the hardware and software code required to program an ESP32-CAM board to create a wide range of camera functionality:
- Create timelapse videos
- Trigger photographs to be taken with a switch, when movement is detected by a PIR sensor, or any other input
- Trigger a photograph to be taken when a HIGH signal is sent from an Arduino or other microprocessor
- Use onboard LED as a flash
- Save photos to onboard SD card, or send them as an email attachment
- Power the ESP-32 from a single 3.7V Li-Po battery pack
You can customise this code to make it suitable for, e.g. a wildlife camera, a security camera, or a camera triggered to take "reaction" shots in an Arduino-controlled escape room game. The ESP32 chip can be programmed using the familiar Arduino IDE, or whatever development environment you prefer. For full details of the functionality of the OV2640 camera sensor used in these boards, see the datasheet at www.uctronics.com/download/OV...
Timings
---
00:00:00-00:03:31 Introduction
00:03:32-00:04:44 Example Applications
00:04:45-00:12:31 Hardware: Camera, Aerial, External Programmer, Portable Battery Pack
00:12:32-00:18:05 Wiring diagram
00:18:06-01:09:43 Software Code in the Arduino IDE
01:09:44-01:11:37 Wrapup
Hardware Used
---
ESP32-CAM: www.banggood.com/custlink/33K...
ESP32-CAM programmer board: www.aliexpress.com/item/10050...
FTDI programmer: www.banggood.com/custlink/3KK...
AM312 PIR sensor: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202625567146
18650 Li-Po battery shield: www.banggood.com/custlink/mGD...
This video is made possible with the generoud support of my Patreon donors - thankyou! For more details of this, and all my escape room technology projects, see / playfultech

КОМЕНТАРІ: 195

@afyu Рік тому

I was impressed by the wide range of applications you covered, from wildlife monitoring to home security to timelapse photography. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise on this topic!

@markdog3355 Рік тому

Thank you for the detailed video, and the comments in your programming. It's rare to find a programmer who takes the time to document what they have done. It's nice to see a tutorial that's actually a tutorial, rather then some undocumented code that was slapped together.

@vinodrc5147 2 роки тому

Thank you sir for the detailed explanation. I was struggling around with these cam module to make it work. The way you explain the code is outstanding and gives a feel ease as a breeze(still i am trying :) ). Thanks again

@Ebue69 2 роки тому

Great video! If all tutorial were detailed like this huge respect and gratitude!

@kombicruiser2658 Рік тому

Thanks Alistair, great instructional video. I have been using ESP32 cam boards for a while but your video helped me understand a lot more about the programming.

@Tgspartnership 2 роки тому

thank you for such a clear walk-through! made it much easier to follow

@slimplynth Рік тому

That zero ohm resistor has become the bane of my life.. a dip switch would be so much more user friendly..

@largerification Рік тому

Imagine how many people will complain of no range etc... Might even blow the wifi circuitry if no antenna is mounted on the u.fl. So certainly not a stuff for a mortal, who is not versed in handling a soldering iron.

@debarjo 11 місяців тому

Oh bother! Why did they set it up like that? Lazy cost cutters!

@brianmarshall7214 2 роки тому

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. I must say your presentation style is really, really great mate, keep it up1

@VidarrKerr 2 роки тому

I bought some of these back when they didn't even have firmware. This is a very good and very complete tutorial. Thank You.

@PlayfulTechnology 2 роки тому

Glad I could help!

@beautifulsmall Рік тому

Made pressure plates from tin foil and holy newspaper as a kid, Escape room box , respect.FPC cable connectors are a lock puzzle to themselves. IPX connector is the same as uFL, I didnt know that before . An excellent reference, thank you for the detail. Beautiful walkthrough .These are amazing devices and only getting cheaper, its the programming of them thats up to us.

@hariseldon2577 2 роки тому

Best and most complete explanation on t'internet.

@SMLP Рік тому

Great detail on the code has given me some great ideas. Thank you

@i8BBQ4Lunch Рік тому

Outstanding presentation! Well done! 😀

@edwardfletcher7790 2 роки тому

Thanks heaps for making this video mate ! It's the mother lode for ESP-CAM info !

@ZFit82 2 роки тому

You’re a good teacher.

@nkronert 2 роки тому

For those who fast-forwarded through the video and missed this - when programming the device with the FTDI adapter, you have to connect GPIO 0 to ground during upload.

@mandelbro777 Рік тому

Great explanation. You're a legend.

@christopherdrumgoole8247 Рік тому

What a great tutorial! Thank you!!

@mcneill64 2 роки тому

Very thorough. Much appreciated.

@SteveTheWhite Рік тому

Sorry. I did find the Bangood device in the description. Thanks for being thorough!

@iantcroft 3 роки тому

Thanks for the excellent video and especially talking through the code in detail, helps us less experienced ones learn. +1 for slightly more zoomed in screen though especially when watching from Mobile phone. Thanks again, looking forward to the next video 👍🏻

@PlayfulTechnology 3 роки тому

Feedback noted - thankyou! Will increase magnification for the next one :)

@uayewin4203 2 роки тому

@@PlayfulTechnology We re expecting to share the code as well :)

@diyvideojunk2066 5 місяців тому

An amazing amount of tech for just a few pounds/dollars ! Thanks for a very watchable video.

@mrfredcoco 2 роки тому

Hello, I’ve just found your video after ordering a couple of these from Amazon. Spot on video thank you. I intend to make a bird feeder cam and aim to send images from our home to my wife who is in hospital. Time lapse or trigger. Also streaming video sessions every now and again would be good. Thanks again.

@womble321 6 місяців тому

I got two from amazon, they work perfectly out doors but absolutely won't work in artificial light here in the UK. I'm very. Puzzled.

@mannhansen9337 2 роки тому

Thanks for sharing this interesting project. The presentation is very clear and understandable. Just one question. Would it be possible to integrate this camera with a SIM900 GSM board or other ? Then we can send pictures from remote places with no WiFi via MMS or GPRS. The GSM modules needs 2 pins, TX and RX for commands and data.

@zozor45 2 роки тому

It works ! ;) Had to change the SMPT port from 25 to 587 (for outlook mail adress)

@akahige9626 2 роки тому

What a great video ! Thanks a lot for all the explanation ! I got an ESP-CAM to make timelapses for my 3D prints. Can I use the same program to store the pictures on the micro SD card and being able to monitore the printer on my PC or Smartphone at the same time ?

@hoanghai5011 2 роки тому

Great. Thank you very much!

@thisoldjeepcj5 2 роки тому

Looking through github and liking what I see. Well commented code. Thank you.

@fouzaialaa7962 8 місяців тому

amazing video , thankyou for your time any idea how to configure it to stream video ?

@ScienceEtConscience Рік тому

Great tuto! Thanks.

@DinJaevel 11 місяців тому

Hi, thanks for another really good tutorial. As I am quite new in this I would really like to know what the 2k resistor, on the signal lin from the PIR-sensor does? Is it to limit current to the base of the transistor? Or does it have any other function and how/why did you/Alastair choose the value? Very grateful for a short explanation!

@wadegerten247 Рік тому

Thanks again for the great vid! Any tips on designing this for temperatures that could reach -30 degrees Celsius? We’re building a snow sensor that will tell us how much snow has fallen during a storm.

@sunilsemwal320 2 роки тому

Informative keep going

@TheSlimbridge 2 роки тому

Excellent

@clivedouglas2950 Рік тому

Hi Alistair Many thanks for this great ESP32 Cam tutorial, it's simply excellent. Even a buffoon like me has a pretty good chance of successfully working my way through it. I can't help wondering if there is a way to modify the code to allow access to download files directly from the SD card via WiFi, instead of receiving lots of emailed JPEGS As CAT5 network cable is cheap as chips, is it, hopefully, possible to use it to power the ESP32 Cam for a garden wildlife camera, that is permanently on with a few IR LED's for night vision. I am also curious if this current arrangement would work with the 5Mp OV5640 camera for better resolution pictures ? Available in the UK, £10 inc P&P

@TOMTOM-nh3nl 2 роки тому

Thank You

@linharesking 7 місяців тому

How to use the gpio 16 of the esp32 camera as output, if it is used in the PSRAM?

@GnobarEl 2 роки тому

Nice video! First time here but I already subscribed! How long can you run the ESP32-CAM with a battery?

@SteveTheWhite Рік тому

Great video. Thanks! Where did you get the battery pack you showed in the video. I haven't seen anything like it.

@MrJohnnyBenjamin 2 роки тому

Best Tutorial ever. Thank you for putting so much detail into the explanation, man! Just a simple question: Is there any way, to connect two cams via cable with each other? One is in standby mode ands works as a "slave", the other one has your code. Every time the "awake" cam makes a picture (motion triggered) the other one wakes up, takes a picture and goes to deep-sleep again? I only want to use one PIR-sensor and save as much batterie as possible (wildcam in the woods). So, how do they communicate and which pins are the best for out and in? I have never done any programming before...would be so nice if you or someone else here could help me out! Greetings from Germany!

@marioalbers887 Рік тому

thank you for the detailed video about the esp32 ... i have the esp32cam board with the board attached to it like you show also i the video but how can i connect the pir to this version . there are no pin where i can connect the wire ..

@1989evGENII 2 роки тому

Hello! Great video. What about to make project of Autonomous alarm with gsm module (like sim800 or sim900 to send photos to email), pir sensor and powerbank?

@varanasilalitha8600 2 роки тому

Nice article. Where can I buy the 3.7v module that holds the battery and steps it up to 5v

@leojrgensen2819 3 роки тому

It is nice you spend so much time explaning the code, i would be very nice if you could use a larger font. 👍

@PlayfulTechnology 3 роки тому

Oooh, thanks for the feedback - I'll try to remember that for next time :)

@ione7393 2 роки тому

Sir, thank you so much for the video, its really helping. There is just one problem, they keep saying that "Board at null is not available". May I know what to do about that? Thank you!

@smitachandak6000 2 роки тому

Great video brother can you make it for video recording ,live streaming,and taking photos pls

@Zaxxore 2 роки тому

Very usefull video for who whant to start to use ESP32-CAM like me. Do you think it would be possible to save photo in the cloud like on a Google drive ? Thanks for the video

@MrJozza65 2 роки тому

That was really comprehensive, thanks for taking the time to explain all the code; I picked up a fair few ideas for how to use my ESP32-CAM that I recently bought. I'm not sure about moving the link to enable the external aerial though, that thing is tiny!

@terryhayward7905 2 роки тому

The link is a zero ohm resistor, so you can just take that off and use a small solder blob to bridge the contacts.

@markdog3355 Рік тому

Look up marksbench, where he shows you how to repair the antenna, after the pad lifts when removing the 0 Ohm resistor, or the blob of solder gets everywhere. He removed the entire shield, but I just lifted one corner.

@miguipda 2 роки тому

Could you please tell us if your 18650 Li-Po battery shield here can be used to charge the 18650 battery with a solar panel in the same time it is used by the ESP32-CAM. It could then allow us to put a solar panel as a birdhouse roof and use this ESP32-CAM to always be powered as bird survey. But following you what must at least be the power of the used solar panel (in england) to be sure keeping this 18650 at least charged for the next day :-)

@jameshodds8800 2 роки тому

I was just wondering if you had any thoughts on the esp 32. I have a esp32 with header Board however I have installed the driver for a ch340c chip but my computer fails to detect a usb port. I have also tried to connect the other way using a FTDI programmer but it refuses to upload (unable to connect to header time out) Ive spent two days now and ready to move on to a Raspberry pi zero

@the1spyderryder 7 місяців тому

What about the code to make the ESP32 CAM work?

@zozor45 2 роки тому

I'm just trying to use and older "ESP mail client.h" library (1.1.6 version precisely) as it's explained here and there... Hope it will work ! ;)

@dimitriclaes7624 Рік тому

Great video with good detailed comments in the code. Do you know if i'ts possible to save videocaptures from 10 or 30 seconds and save send them to a cloud drive? Is there a place where I can download the code used in the video. I just started to program in Arduino IDE Cheers!

@josephusdy9726 Рік тому

Hi. Can you take a picture and put a dynamic text overlay on the picture before saving the picture? I am using arduino programming. Thanks.

@johnmartin6178 2 роки тому

I have just tried the ESP32Cam on the FTDI shield and with all port settings correct the PC does not see the ESP32Cam. I'm assuming that the shorting jumper for programming does need to be in place, but with the shield on you cannot do it?

@lennartjohansson3335 Рік тому

Great project. Is it possible to do direct download link via Bluetooth to download stored pictures on the SD memory?

@hexadec 2 роки тому

Absolutely excellent instruction video! Thank-you. PS love the 'posh' accent. :-)

@PlayfulTechnology Рік тому

Ha ha - I can't do anything about that I'm afraid!

@anniboy90308 2 роки тому

This man is awesome, nicely explained videos, even a beginner can understand...but why so underrated ? 🙁

@Anuitu2u 2 роки тому

view people interested in this kind of thing. more in T** T**

@anniboy90308 2 роки тому

@@Anuitu2u wdym??

@StephDab 2 роки тому

The board you use to power the device with a 18650 lithium battery doesn't provide 3.3V but only 3.0V. Which is just enough to power the ESP32-S itself (the operating voltage of an ESP32-S is 3.0-3.6V according to datasheets). It's not a current issue, the board only drains few hundreds miliamps (around 400mA). But If you provide the ESP32-CAM with the 5V USB, the AMS1117 will provide 3.3V to the board only untill 1A (still according to datasheets, so it is really not a current issue). However, the voltage regulator chip has a 1V dropout, so It won't work properly if input voltage drop bellow 4.3V.

@persimon6598 2 роки тому

Came across the lipo battery on a pcb long ago but can't find it again. Anyone can supply name or part no.? Much appreciated.

@levotube3440 Рік тому

thank you for the excellent tutorial. it is a bit long but very helpful in troubleshooting. i noticed that the mail client only works up to version 1.6.4 for the sd card. the current version is 2.2.4 which unfortunately gives an error when accessing the sd card.

@PlayfulTechnology Рік тому

If you let me know what the error is, I'll be able to tell you how to fix it.

@levotube3440 Рік тому

@@PlayfulTechnology Serial Debug with Ver. 1.6.4: Current time is Tuesday, May 31 2022 13:11:29 Starting SD Card Saved file to path: /pic247_20220531_131129.jpg Going to sleep now ets Jun 8 2016 00:22:57 Version 2.2.4.. updatet to 2.2.5 Current time is Tuesday, May 31 2022 14:36:14 Starting SD Card SD Card Mount Failed Going to sleep now from version 2.0.0 to 2.2.5 the SD card module does not work thank you

@sebsalvarado 2 роки тому

Can it be set to take a short video instead of capturing multiple pictures?

@paulpalmer2435 2 роки тому

Hi there and thank you for your bird cam video. i am new programming and have found this the best esp32 cam video so far. i was wondering is it possible to add a microphone and listen to the bird song live over the internet when you log in to look at the live video. Thank you again.

@PlayfulTechnology 2 роки тому

That's a great question! I've never actually tried streaming audio alongside the video, but I'll definitely think about giving that a try in the future - cheers for the suggestion :)

@OnnieKoski Рік тому

How much delay is there between sending the trigger event and the picture actually being taken?

@dioclecianovasquez6227 Рік тому

Hola, yo quisiera que el esp32 cam, comience a grabar video continuo en la SD, al momento de encender

@gorkemocmen7257 2 роки тому

I seriously recommend hand moisturizer sir

@cbartley100 2 роки тому

Anyone else noticed that you are unable to load code if the SD card is plugged in - or is it just me ? For me when using the ESP-CAM and ESP-CAM MB (@10:20 in vid) combination will normally automatically load code after compilation BUT only if the SD card is not plugged in Not a big issue, just catches me out each time I come back to it to update code / change delay time

@ioanovidiuveres Рік тому

Hello. I want to know what is the RECORDING mode, if it detects movements of people and what is the duration of the recording?

@markmaker2488 2 роки тому

16:20 if you change the resistor coming from the pir sensor from 2k to 10k to the esp32 you won’t need the transistor

@daves3819 2 роки тому

Assuming the camera is triggered by a positive (+) signal from the PIR sensor the 10k resistor should be tied to ground. Also, if the ESP digital input requires 3.3V then you should use a voltage divider. A 10K resistor in series with a 20k resistor then to ground with a tap between the two resistors going to the ESP input put. There is no need for a transistor since the ESP digital pins are voltage sense based and not current sense based.

@thepvporg Рік тому

I'd like to know where you buy from because when I look, the prices you claim and quantities are just not there... Take the 433 RxTx build, cheapest I find is £9 and you get 2 or 3 only, transistors, bags of 5 for £3 and so on...

@vidsava Рік тому

can you use smartphone camera module to work with this board?

@superbenji007 3 роки тому

Hello, is it possible to contact you for making some smartwatches for my escaperoom? Just need a tool to send messages to the smartwatch.

@sigitpratomo192 2 роки тому

what method in esp32 cam to detect face ?

@luisbentancur699 2 роки тому

Que lastina no la veo funcionar con el censor me falta también el código

@petrpetr1275 Рік тому

Ahoj, pěkné video, ale mám problém s otočeným obrázkem o 90 stupňů a nemám tušení, jak obrázek otočit :-(. Bohužel nemohu otočit celý ESP32, musím otočit obrázek v prohlížeči.

@Manuqtix.Manuqtix Рік тому

It’s picture quality is like the selfy cam on most phones

@milesmoore5422 2 роки тому

What is a "TIC Quadran" ? (@ 3:09)

@Francois_Dupont Рік тому

while using the most recent arduino IDE it seems your "'fs::FS& fs" is in invalid format or something. i know you have alot of people posting about problems, but if you have time here is mine: [Compilation error: 'fs::FS& fs' redeclared as different kind of symbol] ive been wanting to build a "trail camera" for a year now and i was finally able to make my ESP32-cam work this morning as a wifi webcam sort of thing. i am not looking into finnalizing the project. your code is the best one yet, but sadly the arduino IDE keep giving me this error so i cannot continue.

@shahoisam6124 2 роки тому

Thinks bro yuo are give me good info about esp32

@thegudgeonlawrence3714 Рік тому

hi when purchasing components for this project i.e Npn bc547 transistor there are different types i.e bc547B or bc547C does it matter which one I use, I just found your videos and they are great thank you.

@paulbaker9879 Рік тому

For most applications there are many substitutes for the BC547. 2N2222, 2N3904, PN100, 2N4401, BC337, etc.

@kimlenon301 2 роки тому

If I will capture a video and send it to my email, is that possible?

@sheshan1842 3 місяці тому

Should we add our house WiFi credentials to it

@IronicoII 10 місяців тому

Cam add face compare ? How ?

@zozor45 2 роки тому

Doesn't work for me... I wanted to send pictures by mail but as soon as you uncomment the line 52 (email option), an error is mentionned line 103. The error message says : "l'argument de type "uint32_t *" est incompatible avec le paramètre de type "const time_t *"C/C++(167)"... Any idea ?

@ingmarm8858 Рік тому

Still bent over laughing at the junk 9900mAh 18650 you are using. The ESP32 cams are quite useful. Cheers.

@hexadec 2 роки тому

If anyone is having problems with the flash not working as I did, try moving the delay(250); statement to BEFORE the flash LED is turned on. I.E. before this statement (ledcWrite(7, flashPower);) I think the PWM module needs a bit of time to settle. I found that even 5mS worked but then we already have a 250mS delay immediately after the LED is turned on so I used that instead. To be clear: :-) // Use PWM channel 7 to control the white on-board LED (flash) connected to GPIO 4 ledcSetup(7, 5000, 8); ledcAttachPin(4, 7); delay(250); //moved otherwise LED doesn't flash! // Turn the LED on at specified power ledcWrite(7, flashPower); // Initialise the camera // Short pause helps to ensure the I2C interface has initialised properly before attempting to detect the camera //delay(250); //moved otherwise LED doesn't flash! esp_err_t err = esp_camera_init(&config);

@PlayfulTechnology 2 роки тому

Thanks for providing the helpful advice! :)

@MisterkeTube 2 роки тому

Doesn't the PIR sensor just need a pull-up or pull-down on its data line (so without a transistor)? The wiring in of a transistor without suitable pull-up/down to me doesn't look like the good approach here, since the inputs of the ESP are normally high-impedance, not current-driven. Also, you did mention using 5v for the PIR, whereas the 5v tolerance of ESP32 GPIOs is a long-debated topic (but so far seems ok in most cases).

@digihz_data Рік тому

The pir is powered by 5v yes,but it data out is only 3.3v when high,so no problem about connecting the data out from the pir sensor to an input pin on any esp32. I usually do use an external pull-down resistor of 10k between the data out pin from the pir sensor to ground.

@RobertoGonzalez-ie9jj 2 роки тому

Great video, but I have a problem and I can't find the solution. I have an esp32-cam that if I feed it through an ftdi programmer works perfectly, but if I feed it through a usb to a computer or a mobile charger through the 5v pin…. It does not work…. any ideas?

@alkhashtee 2 роки тому

Try to use different cable

@ryadshd Рік тому

That's such a huge complint. I rember watcNice tutorialng Nice tutorials videos/channel with hundreds of thousands of subs when I was just starting out

@haley8004 8 місяців тому

Why do all the best electronics youtubers have lisps?

@barrydonaldson Рік тому

Great video!! Your code works fine EXCEPT I just can't get the SD Card to mount. I'm using a ESP32 Cam module with the development board which seems identical to the one you use, but no joy. I've tried searching the web for other pin parameters, but nothing... Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

@digihz_data Рік тому

If you supply the code here, then someone might be able to help you. Otherwize you have to try yourself.

@barrydonaldson Рік тому

@@digihz_data Hey Hans, I've boiled it down to just the lines I have the issue with. Any help would be appreciated... I'm using an ESP32-CAM & The board is set to an AI THINKER ESP32-CAM #include "ESP_Mail_Client.h" void setup() { Serial.begin(115200); Serial.println("Starting SD Card"); if (!MailClient.sdBegin(14, 2, 15, 13)) { Serial.println("SD Card Mount Failed"); } else { Serial.println("SD Card Mounted!!!"); } } // the loop function runs over and over again until power down or reset void loop() { }

@digihz_data Рік тому

@@barrydonaldson sorry,I don't use mail client so I can't help you with that, but.....have you tried different version of the mail client library. I think I read somewhere here in this thread about people not getting some versions to work. So try an older or newer version and see if that helps.

@apcomputerscienceprinciple170 4 місяці тому

@@barrydonaldson i am also having problems with these lines of code. did you ever figure it out?

@barrydonaldson 4 місяці тому

@@apcomputerscienceprinciple170 never did...

@ismail_aydemir_mylife Рік тому

Are you able to answer the questions?

@zozor45 2 роки тому

IMPORTANT(line 121) create a problem with flash when ESPcam is awaken (dosn't flash at all !) : rtc_gpio_hold_en(GPIO_NUM_4); => I've suppressed this line too....

@valkomosa229 9 місяців тому

Where can I download the sketch?

@pcmobiletechnicalsolutions8504 7 місяців тому

please give me the github link

@raymondpenn5619 2 роки тому

Is there another email service beside gmail that will work with the esp32? They keep stopping my picture sending...RRrrrrrRRRRrrrrRRR!

@womble321 6 місяців тому

I've got two. But why won't they work in artificial light? Nothing I can do will. Make it work in doors. Terrible interference I assume from the mains frequency of lights

@hanbolee2749 14 днів тому

Where can i find the code for this project?

@Francois_Dupont 2 роки тому

could you please add your completed .ino code in the description? i am very bad at programing arduino language and i very want to make a trail camera like you did.

@PlayfulTechnology 2 роки тому

github.com/playfultechnology/esp32-cam

@Francois_Dupont 2 роки тому

@@PlayfulTechnology Thank you!!

@gregbennett2437 Рік тому

where do I fined the CODE?

@FutzWith 2 роки тому

Hi, I get this, error: invalid conversion from 'uint32_t*' {aka 'unsigned int*'} to 'const time_t*' {aka 'const long int*'} [-fpermissive] this is the highlighted line: localtime_r(&result.timestamp, &dt); any Ideas how to fix it?

@stacyhawkins5760 2 роки тому

I have the same error and have been trying to find a correction. @Playful Technology?

@PlayfulTechnology 2 роки тому

I think the problem is due to a change made in recent versions of ESP Mail - can you try using v1.2?

@hughmccluskey3204 2 роки тому

@@PlayfulTechnology Still not working