The Time Lapse Machine

My goal is an automatic time lapse machine for TV.

Each day at a set time the RPi will start snapping pics. When finished the stills get transcoded into a movie then sent to my file server for airing. It all happens on this tiny card without supervision.

12301508_10101974121955836_2991549138695297781_n

It came in the mail today. It, in this case, is a Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi is a very simple computer for experimenters. It has modest powers by 2015 standards… modest, but acceptable.

I don’t remember what the Pi itself cost. Most people buy a package with plugs and cables and cards. Mine had all that and a tiny camera.

At the moment my office TV is its monitor. When finished it will run ‘headless,’ meaning without a monitor, keyboard or mouse. At power up it will know what to do.

raspi screen-w1920-h1400My goal is an automatic time lapse machine for TV.

Each day at a set time the RPi will start snapping pics. When finished the stills get transcoded into a movie then sent to my file server for airing. It all happens on this tiny card without supervision.

All I have to do is write the code that will make it happen. That sounded easier before I read it back.

In the real world I’d be on my own. In the Pi world everyone’s tinkering, so sharing techniques and code is common.

It’s a complex process, but I’ve broken it down into manageable chunks… or so I think.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *