Advice on using ESP32 Cam to capture image and send data to ESP32

Projects General Guidance
1

So for this project, I'm trying to make a 3 RRS stewart platform to balance a ball. I tried with resistive touchscreen but the ball required for sensor was too heavy and distorted my platform so I'm looking to switch to vision base detection.

I have a ESP32 connected to PCA9685 to control 3 servos. I wanted to ask if it would be possible to have a ESP32 Cam capture image, compute ball (x,y) coordinates, and send (x,y) to ESP32 microcontroller, then ESP32 actuates servo? Also I would prefer if the ESP32 cam could operate without wifi because I have bad wifi.

Any advice would be appreciated

EDIT: Here is a link to my version of ESP32

2

What is the third servo used for? (x,y) are only two coordinates.

3

Why does it matter if YOU have bad WiFi, either of the two ESP32 can be a hotspot and the other can connect to that.

4

The 3 RRS requires 3 servos, basically tilt around x or y, and change height. Height doesn't matter to me

5

Hello, do you mind explaining the general pipeline of how I could set this up or providing tutorials or which library to use to program the ESP32 cam. Sorry I'm new to electronics. thank you

6

Start with the cam example, that's the most complex part. That code has a server IIRC so the other esp32 can use the client example.

7

Ok. You will require a standard for x and one for y so your picture analysis program can count the pixels between the standard and the object.

8

would you recommend another camera module that's easier to program and is faster. because for this project speed is important so I might have to buy a more capable camera module

9

The camera speed is not the key to you getting speed. It is the processor and your programming that takes the time. How adept are you at array programming?

10

I don't understand what you mean by 'easier to program'. Have you tried the example code? What do you mean by faster: exposure triangle faster, or something else? If you are only considering the ESP32 family, there is at least one other camera family, but I don't recall the name. Have you considered USB cameras? Have you considered other MCUs?

Your questions are strange. If this is your project design, most of these questions would already be answered, but if this is an assigned project, then I will bid you adieu.

11

The PIXY2 camera does what you want (tracks blobs and returns X,Y coordinates), without any programming.