How to Make an Auto-photographing System [Arduino].

Intro: How to Make an Auto-photographing System [Arduino].

I am a newbie in taking photographs and I was hoping to photograph the stars as well as some other cool stuff. I was trying to take a series of pictures and compose them into a video, but it was quite boring keep pressing the "Capture button" . I found this Me-Shutter from Makeblock is quite helpful in taking pictures. You can write some code to modify it and it will take pictures by itself or by a single click. Luckily, I captured an airplane on my long expose experience but the city was too bright to capture the stars. You can see the airplane in the last five pictures at the end. Please excuse my bad technique in taking pictures and welcome to point out the things that I need to improve to be a better photographer.

Here is what I got. The pictures in the video was taken every 5 sec at day and every 3 sec at night.

Step 1: Prepare Your Electronics.

I used Me-Baseboard as my main control. I used the Infrared remote controller and infrared receiver to remote control my camera. They came with the starter kit from Makeblock. The electronic on the second picture is Me-shutter, which translates the micro-controller command to the language camera can understand. The main part of this auto photographing system is in the coding part.

The Me-shutter goes to PORT 3 and the Me-Infrared receiver goes to PORT 6 as indicated in my code.

Step 2: How to Modify Your Own Auto Photographing System.

Here is the code I made for IR remote control.
The IR remote control is quite sensitive. It can be disturbed by sun lights.

If you have any questions in uploading code to Me-Baseboard, go visit this link.
http://wiki.makeblock.cc/index.php?title=Makeblock_Robot_Starter_Kit#Programming

In my code, I define the buttons as below.
There are more details in the code.

Test: Camera Focus
Plus: Increase delay time
Return: Delay variable back to 1
Previous: Decrease shot_time variable (50 times in taking picture)
Play: Take a picture
Next: Increase shot_time variable (50 times in taking picture)
0 number key: Long expose mode
1 picture,
10 sec expose (depends on delay time variable; unit: 10 sec)

1 number key: 50 pictures (depends on shot_time variable; unit: 50 pictures)
1 second between taking next picture,
0.5 sec expose (depends on delay time variable; unit: 0.5 sec)
2 number key: 50 pictures (depends on shot_time variable)
                            2 second between taking next picture,
                            0.5 sec expose (depends on delay time variable; unit: 50 pictures)
3 number key: 50 pictures (depends on shot_time variable)
                            3 second between taking next picture,
                            0.5 sec expose (depends on delay time variable; unit 0.5 sec)
......
9 number key: 50 pictures (depends on shot_time variable; unit: 50 pictures)
                            9 second between taking next picture,
                            0.5 sec expose (depends on delay time variable, unit: 0.5 sec)

#include <Makeblock.h>
#include <Arduino.h>
#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
#include <Wire.h>

MeShutter myshutter(PORT3);
MeInfraredReceiver infraredReceiverDecode(PORT_6);

int timedelay = 1;    //Time delay variable
int shot_time = 1;    //The variable used in changing how many times you want to shot
int i;
void setup()
{
infraredReceiverDecode.begin();
// initialize serial communications at 9600 bps
Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop()
{
    if(infraredReceiverDecode.available())
    {
        switch(infraredReceiverDecode.read())
        {
            case IR_BUTTON_POWER:           //Not in use
            Serial.println("Press Power.");break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_MENU:           //Not in use
            Serial.println("Press Menu.");break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_TEST:         //Camera focus
            myshutter.focusOn();
            delay(2000);
            myshutter.focusOff();
            Serial.println("Press Test.");break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_PLUS:       //increase the delay time
            timedelay++;
            Serial.println(timedelay);
            Serial.println("Press Plus.");
            break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_RETURN:       //change the time delay variable to 1
            timedelay=1;
            Serial.println(timedelay);
            Serial.println("Press Return.");break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_PREVIOUS:     //decrease the variable and take 50 less pictures
            if(shot_time>1)
            {
              shot_time--;
            }
            else
            {
             shot_time = 1;
            }
            Serial.println(shot_time);
            Serial.println("Press Previous.");break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_PLAY:    //take a picture once
             myshutter.focusOn();
             delay(2000);
             myshutter.focusOff();
             myshutter.shotOn();
             delay(1500);
             myshutter.shotOff();
            Serial.println("Press Play.");break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_NEXT:          //increase the shot time variable and take 50 more pictures
            shot_time++;
            Serial.println(shot_time);
            Serial.println("Press Next.");break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_MINUS:         //decrease the time variable
            if(timedelay>1)
            {
             timedelay--;
            }
            else
            {
             timedelay = 1;
            }
            Serial.println(timedelay);
            Serial.println("Press Minus.");break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_CLR:
            shot_time = 1;
            Serial.println(shot_time);
            Serial.println("Press Clr.");break;

            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_0:           //Used in long-expose (expose 10 sec when variable is 1 and increase by 10 sec)
             myshutter.shotOn();
             for(i=0; i<timedelay; i++)
             {
             delay(10000);
             }
             myshutter.shotOff();
            Serial.println("Press 0.");break;

            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_1:         //Take 50 pictures when shot_time = 1 and changes by 50. Expose time is 0.5 sec and changes by each 0.5 sec
            for(i= 0; i<50*shot_time;i++)
            {
             myshutter.shotOn();
             delay(timedelay*500);
             myshutter.shotOff();
             delay(1000);             // Time between each shot is 1 sec
            }
            Serial.println("Press 1.");break;

            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_2:        //Take 50 pictures when shot_time = 1 and changes by 50. Expose time is 0.5 sec and changes by each 0.5 sec
            for(i= 0; i<50*shot_time;i++)
            {
             myshutter.shotOn();
             delay(timedelay*500);
             myshutter.shotOff();
             delay(2*1000);           // Time between each shot is 2 sec
            }
            Serial.println("Press 2.");break;

            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_3:       //Take 50 pictures when shot_time = 1 and changes by 50. Expose time is 0.5 sec and changes by each 0.5 sec
            for(i= 0; i<50*shot_time;i++)
            {
             myshutter.shotOn();
             delay(timedelay*500);
             myshutter.shotOff();
             delay(3*1000);             // Time between each shot is 3 sec
            }
            Serial.println("Press 3.");break;

            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_4:       //Take 50 pictures when shot_time = 1 and changes by 50. Expose time is 0.5 sec and changes by each 0.5 sec
            for(i= 0; i<50*shot_time;i++)
            {
             myshutter.shotOn();
             delay(timedelay*500);
             myshutter.shotOff();
             delay(4*1000);             // Time between each shot is 4 sec
            }
            Serial.println("Press 4.");break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_5:       //Take 50 pictures when shot_time = 1 and changes by 50. Expose time is 0.5 sec and changes by each 0.5 sec
            for(i= 0; i<50*shot_time;i++)
            {
             myshutter.shotOn();
             delay(timedelay*500);
             myshutter.shotOff();
             delay(5*1000);             // Time between each shot is 5 sec
            }
            Serial.println("Press 5.");break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_6:        //Take 50 pictures when shot_time = 1 and changes by 50. Expose time is 0.5 sec and changes by each 0.5 sec
            for(i= 0; i<50*shot_time;i++)
            {
             myshutter.shotOn();
             delay(timedelay*500);
             myshutter.shotOff();
             delay(6*1000);             // Time between each shot is 6 sec
            }
            Serial.println("Press 6.");break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_7:       //Take 50 pictures when shot_time = 1 and changes by 50. Expose time is 0.5 sec and changes by each 0.5 sec
            for(i= 0; i<50*shot_time;i++)
            {
             myshutter.shotOn();
             delay(timedelay*500);
             myshutter.shotOff();
             delay(7*1000);           // Time between each shot is 7 sec
            }
            Serial.println("Press 7.");break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_8:     //Take 50 pictures when shot_time = 1 and changes by 50. Expose time is 0.5 sec and changes by each 0.5 sec
            for(i= 0; i<50*shot_time;i++)
            {
             myshutter.shotOn();
             delay(timedelay*500);
             myshutter.shotOff();
             delay(8*1000);           // Time between each shot is 8 sec
            }
            Serial.println("Press 8.");break;
            //////
            case IR_BUTTON_9:     //Take 50 pictures when shot_time = 1 and changes by 50. Expose time is 0.5 sec and changes by each 0.5 sec
            for(i= 0; i<50*shot_time;i++)
            {
             myshutter.shotOn();
             delay(timedelay*500);
             myshutter.shotOff();
             delay(9*1000);          // Time between each shot is 9 sec
            }
            Serial.println("Press 9.");break;
            default:break;
        }
    }
}