Lightweight Time Lapse Rail Build

Lightweight Time Lapse Rail Build

Here, I’ll document what I came up with to build a time lapse rail suitable for breaking down and taking on a trip (first prerequisite…to fit into luggage), and light enough to take on your backpacking trips into the backcountry.  I have recently discovered ultralight hiking, and while I’m still a beginner at it, I’m planning to take quite a few trips.  The goal is to put together a time lapse rail for any digital camera (but strong enough for my Canon 70D DSLR) that weighs in at approximately 2.5 lbs.  I’m not sure if it’s reachable, but it’s good to have a target!

Another requirement is to be able to control the rail via my phone with a simple GUI.  And failing that, there should be a way to control the entire device if the phone is not present or not working (i.e., out of battery). Adding a touch screen is out of the question, since it will add weight.

Credit where credit is due: I certainly searched the web for the experience of others, and the following two sites were very helpful:

  • https://sites.google.com/site/raspilapse/home
  • http://www.davidhunt.ie/motorised-time-lapse-rail-with-raspberry-pi/

Material lists are below. If a price is not given, it’s because I scavenged the parts from my existing cache.

Rail materials:

  • Two 1/2″ aluminum tubes; 1 m long $8 each = $16
    • Optional: two more aluminum tubes to extend the length of the rail. ($16)
  • One square aluminum tube, 1m long, 3/4″: $11
  • One 3/8″ aluminum rod; 1 m long $8
  • One small sheet of aluminum to serve as the base of the dolly $8
  • Four LM13UU Linear Bearings ($9 for all four)
  • DC 12V 15RPM 6mm shaft Worm Geared Motor, ($12)
    • I had originally bought a very similar motor that didn’t have the worm gear.  It worked great, but it was so tall that it potentially interfered with the camera as it sat on the tripod head.  The worm geared motor provides enough torque for this purpose, but has a very low profile on the dolly.
  • Pulley 36 Teeth, 6.35mm Bore ($11 for two)
  • 2 meters GT2 2mm Pitch 6mm wide Timing Belt ($7)
  • Various screws, washers, nuts
  • Spare tripod head; I pulled one from a Joby Gorillapod, because that’s the one I plan to take with me on hikes…so I will use the head for both the time lapse rail and the Gorillapod’s legs.
  • TOTAL $82

Electronics:

  • Raspberry Pi Zero ($5)
  • Raspberry Pi Zero Acrylic Case ($5)
  • Proto board ($2) to create a circuit on
  • L293D Motor Controller IC ($2.50)
  • NPN Transistors (PN2222A I think)
  • 1k resistors, 300 ohm resistors
  • DO-35 diodes
  • LED’s
  • Camera remote ($6)
  • 12V to 5V converter with a USB output ($3)
  • EdiMax 150Mbps WiFi USB Adapter ($8)
  • Two 4×1.5V AAA Battery Holders with on/off switch ($4 for the pair)
    • uxCell Spring Clip 8×1.5V AA Battery Holder with on/off switch ($6.50)
  • Wire
  • Various male and female header connectors ($5)
  • heat shrink tubing
  • TOTAL $41

Other supplies:

  • JB Weld
  • Plasti-Dip
  • 3M Scotch RP25 VHB Tape

Software:

  • Python
  • remi (a Python module for building quick web GUI’s)
  • zeroMQ (a Python module to facilitate communication between components)
  • My source code: https://github.com/dhyams/dlapse
  • To turn the Raspberry Pi into a hotspot: hostapd + dnsmasq.  See Dave Conroy’s web page for a special version of hostapd necessary for the EdiMax WiFi USB Adapter.

Tools:

  • soldering iron / solder
  • Step bit for drill
  • Miter saw
  • Tap/die set