After delivering CPD at Sheffield Hallam University i was very envious of their AV set up with a visulaiser and PC and RPi all connected to the screen. I can't make all this happen but with the RPi and camera I can make my own.
For work with the Raspberry Pi the box was even the right size to make a stand so i added a lighting solution (cheap torch from the garage and/or a clip on e reader light. Now for under £40 I had a visulaiser set up that i could use in the classroom.
A quick mock up above shows the basic idea but I'll post the full details here once it has been completed along with the python code to control the camera.
Over the holidays I have been experimenting with timelapse photography of crystal formation with the Raspberry Pi. i have been doing this as I have been selected as on of the participants in the Element 14 Raspberry Pi Educators Roadtest. If you haven't come across the Element 14 Roadtests before they are a scheme where kit is sent out to a selected group of volunteers to test and write about. They runs the tests fairly regularly and all you need to do to enter is to write a proposal of what you will do with the kit.
This particular roadtest is of the Raspberry Pi B+ Camera Kit and i wanted to come up with a proposal using the camera functionality in a way I could use the kit with students to teach Computing and Science. My proposal was to work with KS£ and Home educated students on two slightly different projects both based around taking timelapse photography of crystals forming.
We have been playing with crystals at home for a bit with my Home Educated son and this looked like a great project to try with the Raspberry Pi and Pi Camera Module. The Addition of the Wi-Pi adapter and the case with camera mount made it ideal for applications like this where connection to monitor and keyboard would be difficult and a secure mount for the camera essential.
Part of the deal is that you write at least three blog posts and a review of the kit on the Element 14 community website . I am still working on the review and the third blog post but the first two are up already:
The Road test is now complete and I have some more blog entries and a review of the kit. I also ended up doing a couple of side projects and wrote a scheme of work for the Time Lapse Crystals project.
The Roadtest was a good opportunity to experiment with the RPi camera module and I enjoyed the chance to try something different. The time lapse photography was a good way to combine science and computing and also produce some beautiful results. I have included one of the example videos here. This one is probably my favourite, It was taken from below the crystals with lighting above as part of the home education project.
