The “Pi Cam” is a 12-megapixel, 3D printed, Raspberry Pi-powered camera you can control from anywhere

I knew we’d see a smaller interchangeable lens Raspberry Pi-powered camera than the Paparazzo at some point. This one’s a little different, though. Instead of walking around and shooting pictures like a regular camera, this one requires a little external tech to access it. But you can access it from anywhere in the world, whether it be right next to you on your desk or literally on the opposite side of the planet – as long as it’s connected to the Internet.

Designed by Mukesh Sankhlaa, the Pi Cam is a “Remote Raspberry Pi Desktop/Camera/Server”. It’s sort of like an IP camera, except it runs Linux and opens up the door for all kinds of potential uses from simple remote access to automated features like timelapse. And all of the STL files and code are available for you to download. The build requires a handful of off-the-shelf components as well as some 3D-printed parts. But once you’ve got all the parts printed and gathered, assembly is pretty quick.

Being a Raspberry Pi and running Linux, it has built-in WiFi and Ethernet, meaning you have multiple options for keeping it connected to the Internet or a local area network at all times. Mukesh uses Remote.it, a SaaS-based Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) service that provides secure remote access to devices, to be able to access it from anywhere in the world. But you could just as easily hook it up to your home network and use it as a security camera, to monitor your 3D printer while it’s doing its thing or just to act as a webcam for your desktop.

As well as providing the 3D printable files for download, Mukesh has included complete instructions on how to set up the software over on Instructables. I could see infrared versions of these being fantastic wildlife cameras at night!