Hiring arduino expert (not a joke)

[pathfinderwy]

Hi, pro photographer here. Looking to hire an arduino/electronics expert (sorry if wrong forum). Looking for advice on how to build long-range LIDAR based camera trigger. I need a trigger to activate a DSLR camera. Range would be 100 meters.

The device would need:

1. Scan a road/highway constantly
2. Trigger a DSLR camera when car detected
3. Range of 50-150 meters
4. Emit a Lidar Beam diameter less than 1 meter. I don't want a lot of false-hits and want a focused area of detection.

Open to ideas and, if this is your field and you can build the trigger , hiring.

[pathfinderwy]

Hi, photographer here. Looking to hire an arduino/electronics expert (sorry if wrong forum). Looking for advice on how to build/buy long-range LIDAR based camera trigger. I need a trigger to activate a DSLR camera. Range would be 100 meters.

The device would need:

1. Scan a road/highway constantly
2. Trigger a DSLR camera when car detected
3. Range of 50-150 meters
4. Emit a Lidar Beam diameter less than 1 meter. I don't want a lot of false-hits and want a focused area of detection.

Open to ideas and, if this is your field, hiring.

[jremington]

Do not double post. I've asked the moderator to move your other one to the Gigs and Collaborations section.

[marco_c]

There is a "Gigs and Collaboration" forum that is meant for this type of request/post.

[Coding Badly]

Threads merged.

[zwieblum]

Interesting project, but are you sure you will want to pay the price for a LIDAR? Anyway, what is the budget and timeframe? (And you can answer me with a PM, if you prefer).

[Riva]

You will need to describe your project/requirements in more detail.

Are you wanting LIDAR to just detect the presence of a car or also measure the distance to it?

If your only wanting to detect the car then maybe you could mount a wireless device on the road where you want the car to be detected and it sends a signal back to trigger the DSLR.
The detector could be magnetic, beam break, radar to name a few.

[jremington]

For some ideas, see this incredible LIDAR 3D mapping project, using the Lidar-Lite from Garmin (40 m range).

[wvmarle]

You want to detect the car from a distance of 100m, right? That's also where the camera is?

Can you give a sketch of your project as I'm joining the ranks of "sounds interesting but I don't get what you really want".

[pathfinderwy]

Thank you all for your reply and not beating me up too badly.

Answers:

1. Timeline is 1 week after all materials bought. I buy all materials of course for you. Send them to you.

2. Trigger would be mounted on my house. So maybe elevation of 5m.

3. Want a trigger that is right next to DSLR camera. Not a trigger that is wirelessly tethered to camera that is some distance away. I'd like trigger and camera very close to each other.

4. Trigger just for presence of car. Not distance or speed.

5. Budget flexible. Let's talk if interested. I have other projects too.

Thanks so much again. Awesome little world of electronics. If I wasn't an art major...this would've been great hobby.

[pathfinderwy]

Maybe something like this to start:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/15180

[wvmarle]

1. Timeline is 1 week after all materials bought. I buy all materials of course for you. Send them to you.

Buy and have shipped directly makes more sense.

3. Want a trigger that is right next to DSLR camera. Not a trigger that is wirelessly tethered to camera that is some distance away. I'd like trigger and camera very close to each other.

Mechanical or electronic trigger?

4. Trigger just for presence of car. Not distance or speed.

Do you want to make a distinction between car and person appearing? Car and truck? Car and elephant? All have their own challenges.

Easiest is "make photo when something appears". Basically a camera trap. Taking a photo is cheap; you can easily sort through the photos later.

[zwieblum]

Some other thoughts:
- should it work at night?
- in bad weather?
- rain and snow?
- on dark cars, too?

[pathfinderwy]

Awesome replies.  Here were my thoughts:

1. Yes, a 'car trap'.  Don't need to take pictures of people and not sure can even do so at that distance anyway. Just car.

2. Not sure if mechanical vs electronic trigger...how is a DSLR Nikon camera triggered? Here is a sample trigger using IR/sound:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1074910-REG/miops_miops_n2_miops_for_nikon_2.html/?ap=y&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrdjnBRDXARIsAEcE5YmgdYsnQ03fx77Qq4QK_r6JRWvMcDpKgvTSjDZ2mjAUsRaHmDE3kz0aAplUEALw_wcB&lsft=BI%3A514&smp=Y

3. Would like it to work in poor weather, on dark cars etc.

 

[wvmarle]

The most reliable car detection is by induction loop in the tarmac. It'll detect any big hunks of metal basically, regardless of the weather, rain and snow, whatever. It will work. You'd need a link (wireless makes most sense) between the point where you want to detect the car and the camera.

I don't see an easy way of detecting a car from 100m distance. LiDAR doesn't normally get that far.

2. Not sure if mechanical vs electronic trigger...how is a DSLR Nikon camera triggered?

I'd suggest you have a good look at your camera, and check the manual of it on how to trigger it. That link is obviously an electronic trigger.