A pet peeve of mine has always been the lack of camera peripherals for microcontrollers. I look at the listing and cry out to the skies, “why, oh why, do we all think microprocessors are the minimum requirement for any photo capturing?!”
Okay, maybe I’m not that dramatic, but when I see a listing for a microcontroller-based camera, I do get very excited. So when the T-Camera S3 was posted on Tindie, it was just as quickly added to my cart.
This wonderful little module is built with an ESP32 board at its heart, meaning right out of the gate, you have WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity! The included camera has a resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels, an Ultra-Extended Graphics Array (UXGA) resolution. There is also a Passive Infrared sensor and microphone on board, giving you lots of fun peripherals to play with. And something this kit offers that I haven’t seen in others is the inclusion of a 128 x 64-pixel OLED screen, giving you a way to confirm captured data and wireless transmission.
This kit is offered by Lilygo, the China-based open-source store. If you’re looking to pick one up soon, I’d hurry, because the store is going on a break starting January 14th. The Tindie listing for the T-camera lets you choose between just the populated board and accessories, or adding the case as well.
