SmoothShot

A budget-friendly motion control camera system for small-scale filming, where Smoothshot offers a compact, low-cost alternative that automates camera movements like pans, tilts, & tracking shots.

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Idea & Purpose

  • While professional-grade rigs exist, they’re often bulky and prohibitively expensive.
  • SmoothShot aims to fill that gap by offering a compact, low-cost alternative that automates camera movements like pans, tilts, and tracking shots with precision.
  • Using a joystick and a set of motors, our system can be programmed to follow exact motion paths — perfect for repeated shots, time-lapses, or stop-motion animation. - Whether you're filming short films, creative reels, or DIY videos, SmoothShot gives creators more control without breaking the bank.

What It Does

  • Our 3D-printed and cardboard components hold together the Arduino parts, including a joystick, stepper motor, rig system, and 8x8 LED dot matrix countdown. The matrix counts down from 3 to simulate when you could start filming. The camera is adjustable through joystick movements, maneuvering the camera module left and right & at different angles.
  • Our camera module is maneuverable from 2 degrees, which are translational and rotational, so the overall camera position can be moved left and right, and the camera can be directed at an angle.
  • In the camera holder, the user can attach a miniature camera such as a GoPro or other camera/filming device of suitable size so it can be held steady through recording.

How We Built It

  • Arduino
  • 3D Printed Materials

Challenges

  • Connecting a variety of Arduino components & getting them to fit into one central mechanism.
  • Pairing the joy sticks to control the movement through the stepper motor.
  • Constructing the camera and movable components so that the weight and movement are balanced.
  • Getting the Raspberry Pi configured & connecting the camera to the Raspberry Pi.

Accomplishments

  • 3D printing accommodating components to make a rig to hold & move the camera module.
  • Getting the joystick to maneuver the overall position of the camera from left to right.
  • 2 degree camera movement to be translational and rotational.
  • Making the 8x8 LED dot matrix to countdown from 3 with accurate time and display.

What We Learned

  • How to link multiple components to the Arduino (joystick, stepper motors, 8x8 LED dot matrix).
  • How to 3D print parts to align with specific measurements.

What's next for SmoothShot!

  • Pairing the Raspberry Pi with an Arducam.
  • Capturing pictures and videos using the Raspberry Pi.
  • Finding a way to store the captured pictures and photos automatically.

Tracks

  • Sustainability
  • Most Cinematic
  • Best Hardware
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