Team Name
CoperniCam
Timeline
Fall 2023 – Spring 2024
Students
- Heath Christman
- Youssef Aitbenzanzoun
- Somil Ajmera
- Alejandro Villarruel
Sponsor
Levent Gurdemir, UTA Planetarium Director
Abstract
The UTA SkyCam: a cutting-edge camera system designed to capture continuous real-time views of the sky, day and night. Powered by the Raspberry Pi 5 and equipped with a fisheye lens utilizing the high-quality Rasp Pi HQ Camera, it offers a comprehensive perspective of the sky in all directions. Housed in a weatherproof enclosure, the Computer Module and Camera Components are seamlessly integrated and powered by Power over Ethernet (PoE), ensuring reliability in diverse weather conditions. The SkyCam is optimized to record with precision in both low and high light environments, offering a versatile solution for sky observation and monitoring.
Background
The SkyCam project originated at the UTA Planetarium, to address longstanding challenges in sky observation and meteorology recording. Mr. Levent Gurdemir, the Director of the Planetarium, initiated this endeavor to overcome the limitations of traditional high-end cameras, which often suffer from UV degradation after prolonged exposure, thereby hindering continuous sky observation. In pursuit of an affordable solution, existing SkyCam devices were explored. However, they were found to be lacking in capability and cost-effectiveness. This underscored a significant gap in the market, emphasizing the pressing need for improved observational devices capable of delivering continuous high-quality video feed and sky images. Ensuring proper feed will enhance support for educational, scientific, and environmental monitoring purposes.
The decision to pursue development within the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Department was driven by the belief that it offered the expertise and resources necessary to deliver a more efficient solution at a cost-effective rate.
Project Requirements
- Continuous Recording
- Wide Field of View
- Adaptability to Light Conditions
- Network Connectivity
- Focus Adjustment
- Durable Enclosure
- Remote Access
- Recording Storage
- High Quality Imaging
- Power Over Ethernet
System Overview
The main aspect of the system lies in the integration of the Raspberry Pi 5 with a high-quality camera featuring a wide-angle fisheye lens, offering an expansive field of view spanning between 160 to 180 degrees. Encased within a durable, weather-resistant dome, this setup ensures protection against diverse environmental conditions while minimizing optical distortions and providing UV protection. Moreover, dynamic video encoding techniques optimize storage efficiency without compromising the clarity of high-resolution sky images, ensuring continuous recording and data management.
The project’s hardware evolution, which includes a transition from Raspberry Pi 4 to Raspberry Pi 5, has notably enhanced its capabilities. Challenges such as the lack of hardware acceleration for decoding in Raspberry Pi 5 were addressed through innovative solutions like leveraging the RTMP server for streaming, ensuring uninterrupted transmission of high-quality sky images. Additionally, the design of the housing posed significant challenges initially, but meticulous redesign efforts resulted in enhanced durability and resilience against weather conditions.
Thorough prototyping and testing phases included both hardware and software simulations, establishing a seamless streaming pipeline from the Raspberry Pi 5 to the NGINX server for easy access within the local network. Leveraging Python Flask for backend operations further facilitated efficient management of video files and images, promising to deliver valuable insights into the ever-changing dynamics of the sky through the UTA SkyCam project.
Results
Table 1. Test results for our setting adjustments.
Below is a video that covers the general functionality of the SkyCam and a few samples from test runs:
Future Work
CoperniCam is committed to enhancing the viability of the SkyCam system and enhancing its commercial appeal. A key aspect involves the implementation of an advanced circuit board to replace existing cabling and reduce the footprint of individual components, thereby optimizing the overall size and aesthetics of SkyCam. This evolution aims to transform the SkyCam into a commercially feasible prototype suitable for widespread development.
Project Files
Project Charter (link)
System Requirements Specification (link)
Architectural Design Specification (link)
Detailed Design Specification (link)
Poster (link)
References
1.“OpenCV Modules.” OpenCV, docs.opencv.org/4.x/index.html. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
2.Nginx. “Nginx Documentation.” Nginx, nginx.org/en/docs/. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
3.Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pi Documentation, www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
