7 ms·

Show HN: Echo Show – RaspberryPi Security Camera

54 points by sammachin 9y ago

notheguyouthink 9y ago
Huh, I may have to look into a home wifi camera system based around Pi's. Sounds fun, and far less concerning than proprietary IoT Cameras.
- StavrosK 9y ago
  Does anyone know of some software to do exactly this? Something like Home Assistant for security cameras?
- Mister_Snuggles 9y ago
  I've set up a bunch of cheap D-Link WiFi cameras. To alleviate the IoT security concerns, they're all on their own WiFi network (mapped to a dedicated VLAN). This lets me set up rules on my router to prevent the cameras from talking to the internet and to other networks. Devices on other networks are allowed to talk to the cameras, but I'm planning on restricting that to only allow the monitoring VM to connect to the camera network. For monitoring/recording, I use Zoneminder. Zoneminder has some quirks, but it does the job well enough.
judy2k 9y ago
This looks cool! I wish I could afford an Echo Show :)
hex1848 9y ago
I've been using MotionEyeOS for several months now. I setup a a couple of Pi3's with some cheap Logitech USB webcams. Works great from inside the house - I used velcro to tape the cameras pointing out from various windows around the house and in the garage. https://github.com/ccrisan/motioneyeos https://github.com/ccrisan/motioneyeos I am looking for something that will work outside and has night vision though.
- foobarstar 9y ago
  Hey, I've recently been working on a similar project [1] to setup cameras on Pis with cheap USB webcams. However, I had repeated issues with Logitech cams causing the Pis to crash. Thanks for this link to MotionEyeOs, I'm going to see if this allows me to get some use from those cameras as well. (I had fallen back to using some HP and generic USB cameras). Regarding your quest for a camera that will work outside and has night vision, I mention it in my little write-up, but an amazon search for "elp dome camera" should turn up a handful of USB webcams with IR illumination and an outdoor enclosure. I've had one on my outdoor balcony for about 6 weeks now without issue. [1] http://moonbench.xyz/projects/pi-camera-network http://moonbench.xyz/projects/pi-camera-network
j_s 9y ago
Or use old cell phones: http://www.cloxmonkey.com/securitysystem.html http://www.cloxmonkey.com/securitysystem.html The "bad ESN" LG's mentioned in the article appear to be $15 including shipping now; you can get a lot more for the $35 cost of a zero + camera module. The Android app mentioned does not appear to specifically try to be compatible with the Echo Show yet.
- bengyusf 9y ago
  I'm not affiliated with them in any way, but I use Manything with my old phones. Its not free* or very hacker friendly, but it's simple and straightforward. * It does offer free streaming, but recording is $2.99/month
- otterpro 9y ago
  This is a great idea - turning used cell phones into super-cheap IP cameras. I'd probably want to get cheap wide-angle lens adapters ($1 each), and use phone case ($1) to mount it on the wall/ceiling. Another idea is to use selfie-cam/front facing camera, so that the video is visible all the time, as it might be a deterrent to burglar/etc. For CCTV video recording, I use iVideon (freemium), which is cross-platform, and has free unlimited local recording, free streaming, and free limited event-based 24 hour cloud recording. Another favorite is ZoneMinder, an open-source favorite.
eternalvision 9y ago
Slightly off-topic: Does anyone know what is state-of-the-art for small cameras suitable for surreptitious security?
- bigiain 9y ago
  Something lie this? http://boingboing.net/2017/08/04/theyll-never-see-this-tiny-c.html http://boingboing.net/2017/08/04/theyll-never-see-this-tiny-...
  - eternalvision 9y ago
    That's cool, but was thinking of something along the lines of what a PhD EE might conceive. Small chips out of sight using ultrasonic waves to create a detailed real-time 3d-map of a physical space, for instance.
    - bigiain 9y ago
      Ahhh - so not quite a "camera", but have you seen this: http://people.csail.mit.edu/fadel/wivi/design.html http://people.csail.mit.edu/fadel/wivi/design.html https://www.businessinsider.com.au/wifi-camera-sees-through-walls-2017-5 https://www.businessinsider.com.au/wifi-camera-sees-through-... https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/19/researchers-map-a-building-in-3d-using-wifi-enabled-drones/ https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/19/researchers-map-a-buildi...
0xdeadbeefbabe 9y ago
Nice hack, but the 80s called and wants to popularize a low latency analog system. I just don't like the 6 second lag for security applications.
- Yaggo 9y ago
  Technically, Rasberry Pi is capable of streaming h264 with lag of ~150 ms using the Pi camera (not USB).
Fnoord 9y ago
Bit offtopic but still worth mentioning for future reference is that when you count seconds out loud, start from 21. What it does is this ensures the numbers are closer to 1 second duration because the amount of time it takes to mention the 2-3 syllables whereas the early ones { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 } are merely 1 syllable. Why 21 and not 13? Its an easy to remember number (just add 20 to your starting count), and the second part of the number is still accurate. Don't believe me? Feel free to verify with a stopwatch. I learned this from driving lessons in NL. Based on some quick translation abracadabra it seems to equally apply to English. (NB: To be precise, 9 would be 2 syllables in Dutch while its only 1 syllable in English. Other languages will vary!)
- girishso 9y ago
  I count 1001, 1002 and so on.
  - Fnoord 9y ago
    Works as well, and 1000 might be an easier modifier than 20 in some situations. Downside is there's going to be a difference in elapsed time between { 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 1006, 1008, 1009, 1010, 1012 } and 1013+. Regardless, better than conventional { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 }.
- hanoz 9y ago
  Twenty n is a new one on me, it was always n thousand in my hide and seek days, but it seems there are so many variations - n hundred, one thousand and n, n Mississippi etc. - with such a wide range in length of modifier, each spoken with its corresponding degree of rapidity, that I wonder if it's more a case of tapping into an instinctive feel for the length of a second, with the modifier word just helping focus the mind on the matter.
erikcw 9y ago
I've toyed around with a couple of these for use as baby cams -- mostly streaming the video feed over RTSP using VLC as the server. The video feed always works well, but I've never been able to get the audio from a usb mic to transmit using this method. The last time I googled about the topic, it didn't look like anyone else had had much success adding audio to the stream. Does anyone know of any RaspberryPi projects that have succefully integrated audio into the video feed?
- j_s 9y ago
  I assume audio was included on a "Pi for WebRTC", but both audio and video may have come from an attached webcam rather than separate sources: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14788060 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14788060 "we managed to get something smooth working with UV4L" https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=132658 https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=132658 https://www.linux-projects.org/uv4l/installation/ https://www.linux-projects.org/uv4l/installation/
CaptSpify 9y ago
I set up an RPI camera without any of the echo stuff: https://blog.thekyel.com/?anchor=motion https://blog.thekyel.com/?anchor=motion It was fairly easy, but there were a few gotchas. It does a pretty good job, but I do get some false-positives with changes in light. Now that I see this project, I really need to put a video together showing how mine works....

54 points by sammachin 9y ago

Huh, I may have to look into a home wifi camera system based around Pi's. Sounds fun, and far less concerning than proprietary IoT Cameras.

StavrosK 9y ago
Does anyone know of some software to do exactly this? Something like Home Assistant for security cameras?
Mister_Snuggles 9y ago
I've set up a bunch of cheap D-Link WiFi cameras. To alleviate the IoT security concerns, they're all on their own WiFi network (mapped to a dedicated VLAN). This lets me set up rules on my router to prevent the cameras from talking to the internet and to other networks. Devices on other networks are allowed to talk to the cameras, but I'm planning on restricting that to only allow the monitoring VM to connect to the camera network. For monitoring/recording, I use Zoneminder. Zoneminder has some quirks, but it does the job well enough.

judy2k 9y ago

This looks cool! I wish I could afford an Echo Show :)

hex1848 9y ago

I've been using MotionEyeOS for several months now. I setup a a couple of Pi3's with some cheap Logitech USB webcams. Works great from inside the house - I used velcro to tape the cameras pointing out from various windows around the house and in the garage. https://github.com/ccrisan/motioneyeos https://github.com/ccrisan/motioneyeos I am looking for something that will work outside and has night vision though.

foobarstar 9y ago
Hey, I've recently been working on a similar project [1] to setup cameras on Pis with cheap USB webcams. However, I had repeated issues with Logitech cams causing the Pis to crash. Thanks for this link to MotionEyeOs, I'm going to see if this allows me to get some use from those cameras as well. (I had fallen back to using some HP and generic USB cameras). Regarding your quest for a camera that will work outside and has night vision, I mention it in my little write-up, but an amazon search for "elp dome camera" should turn up a handful of USB webcams with IR illumination and an outdoor enclosure. I've had one on my outdoor balcony for about 6 weeks now without issue. [1] http://moonbench.xyz/projects/pi-camera-network http://moonbench.xyz/projects/pi-camera-network

j_s 9y ago

Or use old cell phones: http://www.cloxmonkey.com/securitysystem.html http://www.cloxmonkey.com/securitysystem.html The "bad ESN" LG's mentioned in the article appear to be $15 including shipping now; you can get a lot more for the $35 cost of a zero + camera module. The Android app mentioned does not appear to specifically try to be compatible with the Echo Show yet.

bengyusf 9y ago
I'm not affiliated with them in any way, but I use Manything with my old phones. Its not free* or very hacker friendly, but it's simple and straightforward. * It does offer free streaming, but recording is $2.99/month
otterpro 9y ago
This is a great idea - turning used cell phones into super-cheap IP cameras. I'd probably want to get cheap wide-angle lens adapters ($1 each), and use phone case ($1) to mount it on the wall/ceiling. Another idea is to use selfie-cam/front facing camera, so that the video is visible all the time, as it might be a deterrent to burglar/etc. For CCTV video recording, I use iVideon (freemium), which is cross-platform, and has free unlimited local recording, free streaming, and free limited event-based 24 hour cloud recording. Another favorite is ZoneMinder, an open-source favorite.

eternalvision 9y ago

Slightly off-topic: Does anyone know what is state-of-the-art for small cameras suitable for surreptitious security?

bigiain 9y ago
Something lie this? http://boingboing.net/2017/08/04/theyll-never-see-this-tiny-c.html http://boingboing.net/2017/08/04/theyll-never-see-this-tiny-...
- eternalvision 9y ago
  That's cool, but was thinking of something along the lines of what a PhD EE might conceive. Small chips out of sight using ultrasonic waves to create a detailed real-time 3d-map of a physical space, for instance.
  - bigiain 9y ago
    Ahhh - so not quite a "camera", but have you seen this: http://people.csail.mit.edu/fadel/wivi/design.html http://people.csail.mit.edu/fadel/wivi/design.html https://www.businessinsider.com.au/wifi-camera-sees-through-walls-2017-5 https://www.businessinsider.com.au/wifi-camera-sees-through-... https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/19/researchers-map-a-building-in-3d-using-wifi-enabled-drones/ https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/19/researchers-map-a-buildi...

0xdeadbeefbabe 9y ago

Nice hack, but the 80s called and wants to popularize a low latency analog system. I just don't like the 6 second lag for security applications.

Yaggo 9y ago
Technically, Rasberry Pi is capable of streaming h264 with lag of ~150 ms using the Pi camera (not USB).

Fnoord 9y ago

Bit offtopic but still worth mentioning for future reference is that when you count seconds out loud, start from 21. What it does is this ensures the numbers are closer to 1 second duration because the amount of time it takes to mention the 2-3 syllables whereas the early ones { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 } are merely 1 syllable. Why 21 and not 13? Its an easy to remember number (just add 20 to your starting count), and the second part of the number is still accurate. Don't believe me? Feel free to verify with a stopwatch. I learned this from driving lessons in NL. Based on some quick translation abracadabra it seems to equally apply to English. (NB: To be precise, 9 would be 2 syllables in Dutch while its only 1 syllable in English. Other languages will vary!)

girishso 9y ago
I count 1001, 1002 and so on.
- Fnoord 9y ago
  Works as well, and 1000 might be an easier modifier than 20 in some situations. Downside is there's going to be a difference in elapsed time between { 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 1006, 1008, 1009, 1010, 1012 } and 1013+. Regardless, better than conventional { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 }.
hanoz 9y ago
Twenty n is a new one on me, it was always n thousand in my hide and seek days, but it seems there are so many variations - n hundred, one thousand and n, n Mississippi etc. - with such a wide range in length of modifier, each spoken with its corresponding degree of rapidity, that I wonder if it's more a case of tapping into an instinctive feel for the length of a second, with the modifier word just helping focus the mind on the matter.

erikcw 9y ago

I've toyed around with a couple of these for use as baby cams -- mostly streaming the video feed over RTSP using VLC as the server. The video feed always works well, but I've never been able to get the audio from a usb mic to transmit using this method. The last time I googled about the topic, it didn't look like anyone else had had much success adding audio to the stream. Does anyone know of any RaspberryPi projects that have succefully integrated audio into the video feed?

j_s 9y ago
I assume audio was included on a "Pi for WebRTC", but both audio and video may have come from an attached webcam rather than separate sources: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14788060 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14788060 "we managed to get something smooth working with UV4L" https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=132658 https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=132658 https://www.linux-projects.org/uv4l/installation/ https://www.linux-projects.org/uv4l/installation/

CaptSpify 9y ago

I set up an RPI camera without any of the echo stuff: https://blog.thekyel.com/?anchor=motion https://blog.thekyel.com/?anchor=motion It was fairly easy, but there were a few gotchas. It does a pretty good job, but I do get some false-positives with changes in light. Now that I see this project, I really need to put a video together showing how mine works....