For quite some time now we’ve had an idea of exactly what the kit should do, the experience a user should have, and what the kit must include to make it awesome.
We’ve taken a break this morning to send you our latest newsletter and have posted a taster showing some of the cool features that will be shipping with the first kits. We’ve also included a little look at how we’re going to release supporting software (OS) so whether you’re a newcomer or an expert you can jump in at a level suited to you.
Here are 6 of the biggest features:
The cam kit includes a Raspberry Pi A+ and Pi cam, or use your own Pi (it fits them all) with our editable component holder. The holder is laser cut so it’s super easy to use your own custom design to hold new components for example.
The weatherproof enclosure’s unique triangulated design fully protects the internal electrical components from the elements and the hinged-clip design provides the user with easy access to the Pi’s ports and internal components.
The 8800 mAh hour rechargeable Li-ion batteries will power the kit for a mighty 30 hours of constant use. The Li-ion battery can be easily charged by plugging in a mini USB charger. We’ve also included compartments for battery upgrades for those who want extra juice to power your kit for even longer.
We’ve selected a premium infrared material with special properties to both shield the PIR sensor and ensure that it can detect wildlife up to its maximum potential range of 12 meters.
In true Linux fashion, we’ll release new pre-configured, wildlife named OS downloads full of new activities and scripts – (Fantastic Fox being the first) for the community to use and contribute to. We’ll have activities for beginners that are quick and simple, and more in-depth activities such as slow motion video and image timelapse sequences for the experienced makers to get their teeth into.
The kit is designed to be compatible with future software releases and hardware add-ons. Adding new capabilities and awesomeness to your Wildlife Cam Kit such as a solar charging panel or a different lens (fisheye, macro or wide angled) will let you do more with your kit and explore the natural world in completely new ways.
I’m so excited it’s finally available – so how do I buy one?! Right in time for payday too! 🙂
Can you let me know the prices.
Hi Stephen. We’re aiming at £99 for the full kit via a Kickstarter launching this month. Prices could move a few pounds either way depending on suppliers but we’re pushing to keep it as low as possible for the community. The Kickstarter will pay for the tooling of the case.
We’re chuffed you’re excited for the release. Right now we’re preparing for a Kickstarter in a few weeks – that’s when you can grab one for a discounted price. More info soon! You’ll be the first to know.
A Kickstarter? Please make sure you have rewards for people who already have the components (Pi, PIR, charger and battery) and only need the case/software. By the way are you going to publish the files for people who could 3d print their own custom case?
Sure thing. We’ll have a range of options starting from the simple barebones entry level rewards to the full kit. We’ll also have open source files to download.
For those of us that might want to place the enclosure close to home, will it fit a PoE HAT such as the one that Pi Supply has on Kickstarter right now? http://kck.st/1KkWoy6
Thanks, Rolf.
Most definitely. We had someone else ask us the same question a few days ago too infact. To make sure users could fit their won bespoke components we went for a laser cut component holder, so to fit the PoE HAT we could create a custom laser cut insert for anyone interested, so you can download the layout instructions and make your own if you have access to a laser cutter. I’ll blog about how to go about it over the weekend and link to this comment thread with a bit more info on how this would work.
Here’s that blog and a little more info –http://naturebytes.org/power-it-your-way/
Will this have wifi ?
Hi Scott.
It won’t ship with WiFi but you could easily add a cheap WiFi USB adapter and then you could have the photos sent to you in real time!
We’ll add the scripts you’ll need to do things like this to the community website too for anyone wanting to modify the camera in this way.
Are these available yet?
Any idea of cost for just the software and bird box?
Hi Kerri. We’ll be launching our Kickstarter shortly so not long now. The final costs are currently being tweaked as we complete the component agreements with suppliers and look for the best deals for the Naturebytes community.
How easy will it be to make it solar panel rechargeable?
Hi Kim,
Very easy indeed. You could switch the LiPo charger that ships with the camera kit to Adafruit’s solar version and then you can connect a solar panel to it directly as there’s an external power output in the bottom of the case. A little bit of sugru to keep it water tight and you’re all done.
Hi
I have signed up for the kickstarter – However I want to start development straight away and don’t want to have to wait until all the kit arrives – When will you be releasing the software?
Hi Tony,
We’ve love to help you with your beaver project. Our complete software bundle is still under development, but drop us an email (info@) and we’ll see what we can do to get you started.
Is it possible to extend the range with another sensor? Bigger animals could also be recognizable on photos if up to 30m away. Or whats the current image resolution?
Hi Nils, we didn’t spot your comment – apologies. Yes you could indeed. You could potentially use a pressure pad and trigger the camera over WiFi, or even bluetooth as you could add this to the Pi inside the case and get photos triggered much further away. The image resolution is 2592 x 1944 pixels, or 1080p video (1920 x 1080) which creates great quality photos. We haven’t added IR illumination yet (this would mean using the Pi Noir cam) but it’s coming after we release the first kit to the Kickstarter and pre-order supporters.
Great initiative!
Does it fit the Raspberry Pi 2B or does it require a different insert?
Hi Lody – it will fit the 2B yes. We haven’t yet shipped the kits yet as we were delayed by the manufacturing of the case, but do get in touch if you think you’d like to use the kit with a 2B.
How good is the camera in night time