www.3ders.org

Jan 12, 2015 | By Alec

Who says a 3D printer can only be used to create planters, smartphone cases and Christmas tree ornaments? While it might be somewhat beyond the reach of some of us, more and more highly advanced technologies are being ‘hacked’, or redesigned and given a new purpose using open-source software and 3D printable designs. This way, 3D printers are slowly but certainly changing the definitions of creation and consumption and empowering the user.

We are therefore happy to report that the Olympus Open Camera platform has been launched in Japan, that’s putting another marvel of modern technology into the hands of the maker. While currently only available to Japanese users, Olympus is now allowing makers to do anything they’d like with their lens-style cameras by providing 3D printable files and even an official open-source Software Developer’s Kit or SDK. This could mean that the tools to develop homemade camera drones, and just about any other camera application, are finally being placed in the hands of the maker community.

Camera fanatics will have doubtlessly come across them before, but for those of you who haven’t: these Olympus lens cameras resemble an innovative product released by Sony a little over a year ago: the QX lens cameras. These look like an ordinary camera lens for the untrained eye, but are actually cameras in their own right, though they don’t feature a view finder. Instead, it wirelessly links up to your smartphone or tablet, allowing you to take high quality photographs without carrying a professional camera around.

While cool devices, they are a bit pricey ($250 and way up) to add to a phone that usually features a pretty good camera already. Well, if you happen to be in Japan (we don’t know when files will be made available to the rest of the world), you can now give these type of cameras a whole new purpose. While the open source Olympus project is still in its infancy, it still looks promising. Just like the Sony original, it will reportedly communicate with both Android and iOS smartphones via Wi-Fi, while the software package will also cover all the qualities sought after by camera fanatics, such as:

• Power zoom lens focal length
• Digital zoom magnification level
• Still image and video capture (with or without remote live view display; the prototype camera itself has no display)
• Live view display size (QVGA, VGA, SVGA, XGA, Quad VGA)
• Continuous shooting (with the ability to preset the number of images to be captured)
• Read out coordinates of current autofocus point if selected by camera
• Set autofocus point coordinates from live view
• Obtain / release focus lock
• Set autoexposure metering point or area
• Obtain / release autoexposure lock
• Read aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation and ISO sensitivity from the camera
• Read camera orientation
• Read camera pitch and roll from the level gauge
• Read face detection coordinates
• Read camera capture status (eg. focusing, exposure and noise reduction begun / completed)

For hackers, the ability to write new applications and functions for these Olympus cameras is doubtlessly especially exciting (simply enlist on their website to gain access to the SDK). After all, it could effectively be used for just about any filming or photographing project you can think of.

But we are more excited about the open-source nature of their 3D models, which (while in its infancy) include 3D printable files for the camera itself, a mounting flange and various other options. As these are all open-source, they can be repurposed to incorporate this camera into just about any project you set your mind to. What robotics project wouldn’t benefit from the addition of a high-quality sensitive camera or sensor? One blogger already imagined home-made security cameras that identifies peoples’ faces, while Olympus has shown an example concept of a tiny camera drone. And as its software is fully hackable too, you can even give it, for example, a live feed option.

All of these 3D printable files are available in st land stp format, suggesting that you can 3D print them with just about any desktop device you have. They can be found here, in case you’re in Japan. The files even include a pair of hex screws that will allow you to mount it. But of course the project is still in its infancy, so there aren’t a lot of files available yet. At the same time, Olympus is aiming to create a community of developers that will create new purposes and applications for their flexible camera, and there’s certainly enough to enable that.

A few examples of what can be achieved when combing 3D printing with Olympus's open-source platform.

As said earlier, the open source files are yet only available in Japan, but that is already giving us some clue as to what direction the company is heading. For they are also aiming to host a series of Hackathons (and have concluded one already), where hackers are invited to tinker with the cameras and files, and develop new and exciting projects.

While it’s still unknown whether or not this initiative (and the hackathons) will be exported to the rest of the world as well, their whole concept is admirable. The camera industry has hardly been willing to embrace open-source approaches so far, but this company-backed hacking initiative bodes well for the future. We also can’t wait to see what 3D printed achievements will be realized with these open-source cameras!

 

Posted in 3D Printing Applications

 

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