In another episode of “Let's transform the Raspberry Pi into something its creator never imagined,” a surveillance application arrives, but not in the traditional sense of the word. The idea is to keep a close eye on the littlest members of the household, and that's how we arrive at FruitNanny. The device is based on a Raspberry Pi 3, the official NoIR module, several infrared LEDs, a lens originally intended for the iPhone, and a DHT22 sensor to detect any middle-of-the-night crisis involving humidity and temperature.
Caring for a baby's needs is a very demanding process, but parents always have the option to tip the scales in their favor if they implement a bit of technology. One of the best examples is the classic wireless monitor. Whether it's audio only or with a video feed, for many families it represents a far superior alternative to sleeping with the crib in the same room, a topic of debate that continues to divide experts' opinions. So, how much does it cost? Audio solutions average around 30 euros, and for models with a camera we need to invest ten or twenty euros more, but we can't forget the DIY path, and if you already have a Raspberry Pi 3 on hand, you might want to check out FruitNanny.
Behind the Project
The project is the responsibility of Dmitry Ivanov. His son was born in March 2016, and after exploring the local market looking for a monitor that met the circumstances, he decided to build one even though his wife disagreed. The first model was based on the Raspberry Pi 1 B+, and although it worked well as a prototype, several performance problems led him to install a Raspberry Pi 3, with the added advantage of integrated WiFi. The rest of the components are relatively easy to obtain, including the NoIR infrared camera, 12 infrared LEDs, and the DHT22 humidity sensor, while the software combines NodeJS, GStreamer, Nginx, and Janus WebRTC Gateway to access the feed through a conventional browser.
Cost and Customization
The case is 3D printed, but nothing prevents us from using a small electrical box instead, or improvising something similar. Now, building a FruitNanny from scratch ruins any budget because we have $65 between the Raspberry Pi 3 and the infrared camera alone, however, if you already have several of the pieces, why not?
