📹 High-Speed Impact Camera

A high-performance video capture system built for Raspberry Pi 5 with global shutter camera. Optimized for capturing fast motion events like golf swings, ball impacts, and other high-speed activities with minimal rolling shutter artifacts and excellent detail.

• High Frame Rate: 120 FPS capture (configurable up to 200+ FPS)
• Global Shutter: Eliminates rolling shutter artifacts for crisp motion capture
• Optimized Settings: Fast shutter speeds (1/500s default) to freeze motion
• Easy Control: Web interface + command-line interface
• Automatic Upload: Optional automatic upload to S3 or remote server
• Metadata Tracking: Automatic recording metadata and timestamps
• Instant Playback: Download and review recordings immediately

• Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB recommended)
• Raspberry Pi Global Shutter Camera (IMX296 or compatible)
• MicroSD card (64GB+ recommended for storing videos)
• Power supply (5V/5A for Pi 5)
• Optional: Physical button for triggering recordings
• Optional: Tripod mount for stable positioning

Use Raspberry Pi Imager to install the latest 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS (Bookworm or later).

Requirements:

• Python 3.13 or newer
• Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

sudo apt install -y python3-pip python3-venv python3-picamera2 python3-libcamera

cd ~
git clone <your-repo> swing-cam
cd swing-cam

python3.13 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

Note: This project requires Python 3.13 or newer.

Edit config.json to customize settings:

{
  "width": 1456,
  "height": 1088,
  "fps": 120,
  "duration": 3,
  "shutter_speed": 2000,
  "format": "h264",
  "upload_enabled": false,
  "upload_destination": ""
}

• Resolution: 1456x1088 is native for IMX296. Lower resolutions enable higher FPS
• FPS: 120 provides excellent slow-motion. Can go up to 200+ at lower resolutions
• Shutter Speed: 2000 microseconds = 1/500s. Adjust based on lighting
• Duration: Recording length in seconds (minimum 1s for impact capture, 3-5s typical for swings)
• Format: h264 for raw stream (smaller), mp4 for container

Start the web server:

source venv/bin/activate
python web_interface.py

Then open a browser and navigate to:

http://raspberrypi.local:5000

Or use the Pi's IP address:

http://192.168.1.XXX:5000

The web interface provides:

• One-click recording
• Real-time status display
• Recording history
• Instant download
• Complete settings management
• Built-in Google Drive setup
• Configuration presets

Simple interactive mode:

source venv/bin/activate
python swing_camera.py

Press ENTER to trigger each recording.

With custom name:

python swing_camera.py --name "driver_swing_1"

List all recordings:

python swing_camera.py --list

Create /etc/systemd/system/swing-camera.service:

[Unit]
Description=Golf Swing Camera Web Interface
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=pi
WorkingDirectory=/home/pi/swing-cam
ExecStart=/home/pi/swing-cam/venv/bin/python web_interface.py
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable and start:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable swing-camera
sudo systemctl start swing-camera

1. Run the setup script:

source venv/bin/activate
python setup_gdrive.py

This will guide you through getting Google Drive credentials and will automatically create a "Golf Swings" folder.

2. Update config.json with the folder ID provided:

{
  "upload_enabled": true,
  "upload_destination": "gdrive://your-folder-id-here"
}

See GDRIVE_SETUP.md for detailed instructions!

1. Set up SSH key authentication with remote server

2. Update config.json:

{
  "upload_enabled": true,
  "upload_destination": "user@yourserver.com:/path/to/swings"
}

For best golf swing capture:

1. Side View (most common):

   • Position camera perpendicular to target line
   • 10-15 feet away from golfer
   • Waist to chest height
   • Frame should include club at address and full follow-through

2. Face-On View:

   • Position camera directly in front or behind golfer
   • Far enough to capture full swing width
   • Useful for checking alignment and posture

3. Down-the-Line View:

   • Position behind golfer, looking toward target
   • Great for checking swing plane
   • May need to adjust for ball flight safety

1. Lower resolution: 728x544 can achieve 200+ FPS
2. Reduce bitrate: Lower values in encoder settings
3. Disable unnecessary services:

sudo systemctl disable bluetooth
sudo systemctl disable avahi-daemon

1. Adjust shutter speed based on lighting:

   • Bright outdoor: 1000-2000μs (1/1000s - 1/500s)
   • Indoor/cloudy: 3000-5000μs (1/333s - 1/200s)

2. Increase bitrate in swing_camera.py:

encoder = H264Encoder(bitrate=15000000)  # 15 Mbps

3. Use consistent lighting to avoid auto-exposure changes

Recorded videos can be played in:

• VLC Media Player (supports h264 streams)
• DaVinci Resolve (for professional analysis)
• Any video player that supports h264/mp4

For slow-motion playback, the 120 FPS videos will play smoothly at 30 FPS (4x slow motion) or 60 FPS (2x slow motion).

vcgencmd get_camera

Should show supported=1 detected=1. If not:

1. Check camera cable connection
2. Enable camera in raspi-config
3. Reboot

1. Check CPU temperature: vcgencmd measure_temp
2. Ensure adequate cooling
3. Close unnecessary applications
4. Lower resolution or bitrate

Recordings are stored in ./recordings/. To manage:

rm ./recordings/swing_*.h264

Or set up automatic cleanup in config.

Add a physical button to GPIO pins for instant recording:

from gpiozero import Button

button = Button(17)  # GPIO 17
button.when_pressed = lambda: camera.capture_swing()

With Raspberry Pi 5 and IMX296 Global Shutter Camera:

Recording times per 64GB card:

• At 10 Mbps: ~14 hours
• At 8 Mbps: ~17 hours
• At 5 Mbps: ~28 hours

Feel free to submit issues and enhancement requests!

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details