Kongtechnology.com

Legocamera automatic pinhole camera of Lego Mindstorms

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 07:52 PM PST

Pinhole cameras can be made from pretty much anything, and you could make pretty much anything out of Lego Mindstorms. So it comes as pretty much a no-brainer when someone did combine the two. This is the brainchild of Basil Shikin, who has created the Legocamera, a fully automatic pinhole camera built of Lego Mindstorms.

A basic pinhole camera involves some photographic paper taped onto the back of a light-fast container, with a tiny hole pricked on the opposite side of the container. The Legocamera operates under the same basic principle with a little add-on that automates it.

Made with the programmable Lego Mindstorms, the fully automatic pinhole camera is able to wind the film and control the shutter all on its own. The Legocamera even has a user interface that gives you all the information you need to know about the camera: what is current light sensor reading, how many snapshots are left, what is the current operation, etc.

View the video here to see the automated camera in action.

There are two parts that make up the automatic camera and that is the camera body itself, which is the housing that holds the film inside it and is light-fast, and the external module that automates the camera.

Here are two of the photos that have been taken using the Legocamera:

Lego Mindstorms is a line of educational toys that can be used to create programmable robotics.

This certainly proves that legos are much more than just a child’s toy. I’m amazed every time I read about these crazy lego constructions. I wonder what else will people think up of next.