One techie has constructed a digicam out of an outdated Logitech gaming mouse, and it is impressed by the Game Boy Camera

If you will have a little bit of a smooth spot for the Game Boy Camera or, dare I say it, the built-in digicam of that PS Vita caught in your drawer, you’ll be able to create an analogous impact with an outdated mouse, some customized elements, and a “quick Python script”.

One techie not too long ago took to Reddit to share that they’d turned the heart of an outdated optical mouse right into a tiny little digicam that may match right into a palm. It reportedly took 65 hours to create, however truly, that undertaking was within the works for for much longer.

Dycus, the creator behind the project, told me the idea originally came from this SpritesMods submit detailing the methods you should utilize the optical mouse sensor like a really small digicam. They noticed this report “many, many years ago”, however it stayed at the back of their thoughts for a while. They saved the PCB and sensor from an outdated, damaged Logitech G400 mouse, ought to such a day arrive the place they will put what they’ve discovered into observe.

“Many years after that… I was digging through a box looking for something, when I found this board, and the “new undertaking itch” struck.” Dycus instructed me that, earlier this yr, they turned “interested in my old Game Boy Camera Again”, and the undertaking took form.

First, they needed to discover the information sheet for his or her particular chip (ADNS-3090) and wire that chip as much as a microcontroller in an effort to “talk to it.” They might learn the chip, and the optical sensor was sending info to their PC, however they needed to write a Python script in an effort to correctly show the pixels. You can see beneath the primary selfie they ever took, after they received this concept working.

From right here, “it was basically a matter of figuring out exactly what parts I needed to complete the camera (user interface buttons, some memory to store photos, a battery, battery charger, etc), and ordering them.” Dycus then modelled a case to suit the whole lot in, and the heart of the digicam are “completely packed”.

Interestingly, the digicam comes with a couple of settings buttons, and you’ll swap capturing modes between a single shot, double shot, quad shot, smear shot, and cowboy. It comes with a “few hours of battery life” and might retailer as much as 48 footage.

Dycus’ favorite picture is that of their canine. This was taken with the smear shot (or panorama mode), the place the column is scaled 2x vertically however solely 1x horizontally, which suggests you’ll be able to sweep the digicam to get an extended shot. The image is then taken sideways and rotated. I’ve been instructed the picture of their canine is “about as good as photos from this camera gets”, because the smear mode makes for a greater decision.

Maybe it is good I’ve a drawer filled with outdated tech. I’ll by no means know when creativity would possibly strike.