The roboCAM Master Control Panel Is a wired serial controller for Blackmagic Cinema cameras, allowing remote control of Focus-Iris-Zoom, as well as ISO, White Balance, Rec toggle, and nearly every other camera setting.
The MCP is built on Arduino computers enclosed in a bespoke 3D printed aluminum and nylon case.
The various Arduino and custom Feather boards and physical I/O ports were assembled at scale in 3D.
The 3D model was used to visualize the final printed component, with cut-outs for ports, buttons and the 3-line LCD screen lining up exactly in the 3D printed case and aluminum bracket.
The Serial cable connects the Master Control Panel to the Camera for controlling camera settings and 5v Power.
For power, a 5v power port will run the camera control functions, while a 12v port powers up to 4 servos.
A USB port allows easy programming.
As well as controlling Focus, Iris, Zoom and all settings of the camera, the MCP was developed to control servos in a robotic camera mount.
v.0
The MCP v.0 was designed around a standard size Arduino board, with a 2.8″ screen. It was going to be fit into a pre-made shell with a custom bent and drilled aluminum skeleton.
v.1
v. 1 replaced the expensive custom plastic and aluminum case with an expensive 3D-Printed nylon case and lithe aluminum frame. The design remained the same as v.0, other than cosmetic and ergonomic (for right-handed people) refinements.
Many emboss patterns were tested for the grip before the flowing swirl was chosen.
The v.1 design has a very stable feel in the hand. The contoured swirl flows with the hand, and the oversize physical controls are accessible even through gloves.
The interface on the 2.8″ screen is drawn by the Arduino, created with a combination of static backgrounds with animated sprites overlaid.
v.2
Version 2 stayed wired and kept the same materials of printed aluminum and nylon, but smaller Feather boards were used and materials costs were greatly reduced. Control was moved to a wifi connected phone, over the OSC protocol. OSC allowed both faster UI iteration and the ability to animate every setting.
The camBOT Master Control Panel is a small form-factor addition to my camera kit that allows me to put a camera anywhere, and still have full control of all settings from a phone or tablet.