How to Build a Raspberry Pi Pico-Powered Camera Button #RP2040 @tomshardware
Les Pounder at Tom’s Hardware demonstrates a build using an RP2040-based board with CircuitPython to trigger taking pictures on a mobile phone.
In this tutorial we will make a simple trigger using a Raspberry Pi Pico and a few components. The code for the project is written in CircuitPython, a version of MicroPython from Adafruit that enables us to turn our Raspberry Pi Pico into a USB device, in this case a mouse. We can then press a real button to trigger the camera to take a picture.
This project is ideal for capturing nature shots. Our Android device can be positioned near to where the animal feeds or drinks and, using a long USB cable, we can be hidden out of sight and not scaring the creature. It can also work for selfies / group portraits that require you to stand further back from the camera.
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
