Extended Time Lapse with Raspberry Pi Zero and a Hacked Alarm Clock

Along with the Raspberry Pi Camera Module, Raspberry Pis are great for all kinds of visual capture tasks. One popular option is to set it up to observe nature in a time lapse configuration. “E024576” wanted to do just that, but instead of recording a day’s snowfall or a series of clouds in fast-motion with a Pi, this hacker wanted to capture the environment for many months, taking a single photo to record ground cover plant growth through the spring and summer.

This, of course, required some creative power conservation methods, and the resulting build uses a modified alarm clock to provide a daily signal to wake and take a picture. An ATtiny85 chip, normally in standby mode, receives a signal from what was once the clock’s audible alarm, and turns a Raspberry Pi Zero on via an OnOff SHIM. The Pi then executes a run-at-boot script to take a photograph, and the ATtiny and SHIM power it off again and goes to sleep, awaiting the next day’s task.

With these power-saving hacks, the setup has been tested to theoretically work for a year or more on batteries. A nicely made enclosure finishes things off, and it will be interesting to see the photographic results after many months of waiting!