Simple Tracking Camera for Online Teaching

During the pandemic, a lot of the teachers I know find it extremely difficult to move their teaching model online. Most teachers do best using a huge board, but the problem with using a board is that a camera cannot record the entire board at a time without losing quality, so it must be zoomed and constantly adjusted based on where the teacher is writing. Take this video for example, the teacher has a dedicated camera man who would adjust the camera constantly, which is something 99% of the teachers cannot have.

Typing or writing with their mouse on Zoom is really uncomfortable, Buying expensive equipments is out of the picture for people in Third World countries like myself, where a lot of schools don't even have projectors or decent speakers for their classes.

Thats why I want to create a simple solution that would cost less than 20$ to make teaching with a board during covid much easier, by replicating what the camera man is doing in the video linked above. By using PIR sensors or a small manual control, teachers can use this platform to adjust their camera to cover the entire board with ease.

- Arduino Uno: 6$

- PIR sensors x3: 3$ or whatever IR Remote and an IR receiver

- 12V Stepper Motor: 8$

- Wires, carton box, glue,...: 1$

- Phone holder from a selfie stick/phone tripod: 3$

- 12V Power Source

Soldering iron

Glue Gun

This is the price I got the supplies for, I am quite sure these are Chinese knock-offs but they are the only ones on sale here.

As you can see in the picture above, the board is divided into 3 parts. Before the class starts, you should adjust the camera so that it would zoom into the middle part. During the class you will have to move to the 2 sides, the camera will automatically move with you.

With the 3 PIR sensors stationed looking at 3 parts of the board, it will alert the Arduino to whenever you move to a different section, and turn the stepper motor to face that part.

With the IR remote, you press 3 buttons to manually control the 3 positions of your camera. This might be a bit more of a hassle during teaching, but it is more consitent than the PIR sensors.

For the PIRs:
Data PIR pin right side -> 2 Arduino

Data PIR pin middle -> 3 Arduino

Data PIR pin left side -> 4 Arduino

For the Stepper:

4 pins of the motor to 4 slots on the L298N like in the diagram

Data pins L298N to slot 8, 9, 10, 11

For the Stepper:

4 pins of the motor to 4 slots on the L298N like in the diagram Data pins L298N to slot 8, 9, 10, 11

For the IR receiver:

VCC -> 5V

GND -> GND

Data pin -> 12 Arduino

You will also have to use a script to save the IR remote HEX code using this guide:

https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/electropeak/use-an-ir-remote-transmitter-and-receiver-with-arduino-1e6bc8

Put everything in the box and use the Glue Gun and glue the PIR sensors like the image, so as the PIR sensor wont interfere with eachother.

Attach the Stepper to the lid of the box, and glue the phone holder onto the motor like in the image