Build your own Robotic WebCam

Overview

Here’s how to build a webcam that can be viewed and controlled from the web:

1. User clicks on one of three links: left, center, right
2. A script written in PHP makes a socket connection to a listener program (written in C++) running on my home PC, indicating the direction of movement requested.
3. The listener program executes one of three scripts (written in Visual Basic), one for each direction of movement.
4. The Visual Basic script opens the COM2 serial port and sends one of three signals (L, C, or R).
5. The pins of the COM2 port are connected to a Parallax BASIC microcontroller. It is running a small progam (written in Parallax Basic) which listens for signals.
6. Upon receiving the turn signal on the COM2 port the microcontroller sends a pulse signal to the servo motor. Depending on the duration of the positive-going pulse, the servo rotates accordingly.

Parallax Basic Stamp 2 Starter Kit. This includes a board and a microcontroller with a BASIC interpreter.

Notice the 9-Volt battery hook-up in the upper left corner of the board above. You’ll need a power supply like this one, but one that has the 9-Volt battery style connector.