$10 DIY AI Surveillance Camera | Full Tutorial | Coders Cafe

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Building a Surveillance Camera with ESP32 Camboard
3. Required Components
4. Setting Up the ESP32 Camboard
5. Software Requirements
6. Installing the ESP32 Add-on
7. Installing Required Libraries
8. Establishing Connection with the Dashboard
9. Creating a Device on the ElegantODIo Dashboard
10. Creating a Board on Telegram for Motion Notification
11. Uploading the Code to ESP32 Camboard
12. testing the Device
13. Assembling the 3D Printed Parts
14. Conclusion

Building a Surveillance Camera with ESP32 Camboard

📷 Introduction

Surveillance cameras play a crucial role in ensuring security and monitoring activities. In this Tutorial, we will guide you through the process of building a surveillance camera using an ESP32 Camboard. This compact camera is housed in a 3D printed case, allowing you to easily adjust the angle for surveillance. What's more, it has motion detection capabilities and can send notifications to your Telegram account whenever motion is detected. The best part? You can build this powerful camera for under $10! So, let's get started.

🔨 Building a Surveillance Camera with ESP32 Camboard

To build this project, you will need the following components:

• ESP32 Camboard
• FTDI programmer
• Female to female jumper cables
• Mini USB to USB 2.0 cable
• 5V 2A adapter
• 3D printed parts

💡 Required Components

The ESP32 Camboard is a full-featured microcontroller with an integrated video camera and micro SD card socket. However, it lacks a USB port, which means we need an external FTDI adapter to connect it to our computer for programming. Make sure to connect the FTDI adapter as per the provided schematics, ensuring that the jumper is inserted to enable the 5V.

⚙️ Setting Up the ESP32 Camboard

Before we proceed with the software requirements, we need to set up the ESP32 Camboard. Connect the ESP32 Camboard to your computer using the FTDI programmer. Ensure that the GPIO0 Pin is connected to ground to upload the code successfully. Now, let's move on to the software requirements.

🔧 Software Requirements

To use the ESP32 Camboard, we need to install the necessary software components. First, open the Arduino IDE and go to Preferences. In the Additional Boards Manager URL, add the link for the ESP32 add-on. If you have multiple links, separate them with commas. Next, navigate to the Boards Manager in the Tools menu and search for "ESP32". Install the ESP32 add-on.

📥 Installing Required Libraries

To enable the motion detection and Telegram notification features, we need to install three libraries. Go to the Sketch menu, select Include Library, then click on Manage Libraries. Search for and install the following libraries:

• ElegantSurveillance
• Telegram Bot
• ArduinoJSON

⚡️ Establishing Connection with the Dashboard

Now that we have the necessary components and software in place, we can establish a connection between the ESP32 Camboard and the ElegantODIo dashboard. Head over to motion.elegantodio.com and sign up for an account if you don't have one already. Create a device on the dashboard and make the necessary modifications to the generated code to add Telegram notification functionality. Refer to the provided code for more details.

📲 Creating a Board for Motion Notification on Telegram

To receive motion notifications on Telegram, we need to create a board. Open Telegram and search for the @BotFather. Send a message with "/newbot" to start creating a new board. Name the board as per your preference, and you will receive a token for your board. Additionally, search for the @getIDBot in Telegram and send "/getid". This will provide you with the ID for your board. Both the board token and ID will be used in the code.

📝 Uploading the Code to ESP32 Camboard

Now that we have all the necessary configurations, we can upload the code to the ESP32 Camboard. Specify your router's SSID and password in the code. Enter the user token and device ID obtained from the ElegantODIo dashboard. Finally, include the board token and ID obtained from Telegram. Upload the code to the ESP32 Camboard. Once the upload is complete, disconnect the USB cable and remove the jumper wire connecting GPIO0 to ground.

📸 Testing the Device

It's time to test the surveillance camera. Start the board and trigger motion in front of the camera. You will receive a notification on Telegram, and the motion footage will be displayed on the ElegantODIo dashboard. This confirms that the device is working flawlessly.

🔌 Assembling the 3D Printed Parts

As the final step, you can assemble the 3D printed parts to house the ESP32 Camboard. These parts provide power to the board and can be connected to the 5V and ground pins of the ESP32. Once assembled, you can place the surveillance camera anywhere you like.

💡 Conclusion

In conclusion, building a surveillance camera with the ESP32 Camboard is an affordable and accessible project that provides advanced features like motion detection and Telegram notifications. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can create a powerful surveillance camera for under $10. Feel free to explore more projects and tutorials on our Channel, and stay tuned for future updates!

Highlights

• Build a surveillance camera using ESP32 Camboard
• Adjust the angle for surveillance with 3D printed parts
• Get motion detection notifications on Telegram
• Affordable project costing under $10
• Easy to assemble and use

FAQ

Q: Can I use a different microcontroller for this project? A: This tutorial specifically focuses on building a surveillance camera using the ESP32 Camboard. However, you can adapt the concepts and code to work with other microcontrollers with similar capabilities.

Q: Is the camera weatherproof? A: No, the 3D printed case does not provide weatherproofing. It is recommended to use this camera indoors or in a protected outdoor area.

Q: Can I use a different notification platform instead of Telegram? A: Yes, you can modify the code to integrate other notification platforms based on your requirements.

Resources

• ESP32 Camboard
• ElegantODIo
• Telegram Bot
• Arduino IDE