Turn a single-use camcorder into a recording nightvision scope
By Marc Perton 
posted Feb 23rd 2006 2:45PM
posted Feb 23rd 2006 2:45PM
Why shell out $200 for a set of Soviet-era
nightvision goggles when you can make one yourself from a $30 video camera? That's what Everett Bradford did, taking a
CVS single-use video
camera and combining it with a set of 20-cent infrared LEDs. Okay, it took a little more work than that, including
some circuit-board mods and the addition of a salvaged camcorder lens. In the end, though, Everett estimated that his
night-vision setup, which can record infrared footage that can be downloaded to a PC, cost about $35, compared to about
$80 for the cheapest off-the-shelf night-vision scope. Who said you can't find anything worth buying in the corner
drugstore?[Via Hackaday]
In Splinter Cell 4 when Sam Fisher is old and broke he'll have to wear these goggles. How the mighty have fallen.
That thing says Stalker all over it...
All jokes aside, this is really clever. I've always wondered how you can take a circuit board manufactured by someone else, determine what each little chip, resistor and capacitor does, and repurpose it to your own design.
If no one else here does, I'm going to give this kid his props.
Very nice hack. I like how he's got it head mounted too. Very innovative.
CVS Disposable Camcorder: $30
Infared LEDs and assorted crap: $5
Proving to the world your not just a dork, but a dork with mad hacking skillz: Priceless.
This kid goes to my friends school(RPI) and he's a freshman...
Any help on how to add the USB? He doesn't detail it in the description.
Yeah, ok, it costs $35 for materials, but the $80 off the shelf model costs that much because of the labor that went into making it, marketing, and R&D.
Nobody's knocking more expensive solutions, Jen. The point is that when you're a poor student and want a kickass night vision toy, this is the ticket.
As for adding USB, Ray, google "CVS camera".
And it's so sexy!
Meep
http://www.gopulls.com/meep.htm
Pretty sad I knew this was RPI(my alma mater) just from the furniture/room layout in the background and I haven't been in a freshman dorm in 4 years.
That's a really cool hack and I don't want to lower the tone of the conversation but an important question needs to be answered here...
In the 3rd picture fromt the bottom, is that porn I can see on the TV? Having a camera strapped to your face isn't the only thing that can cause bad eyesight...
I see a great future in the technical field for this guy...either that or a fine and possible jail time for stalking the girls dorm at night as a peeping tom. Either way this is very clever indeed.
I'm sure the girl he's stalking is flattered.
Relax guys, I'm not stalking anyone. I actually built it mostly as an easy way to film parkour at night.
An impressive hack, but I doubt it produces similar results to a proper starlight scope, with the photon to electron tube and phosphorous screen etc. Those suckers cost $$$, we need a pringles can + CVS camera version of that! :D
That's pretty cool. It should be about as good as gen 1 night vision technology if you're using IR illumination. I'm afraid gen 2/3 and thermal still probably have the edge, though.
I'd recommend ditching the LEDs and using either developed-but-unexposed film or a better IR filter over an incandescant flashlight for even better output though. LEDs like that are just too short range. An IR laser might work with the right optics setup too.
And BTW, even the military headmounts look really dorky.
Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
Any one know where i can find a motion activated InfraRed critter cam?
you can just make an remove the IR filter of a regular critter cam and add the same LEDs
I seem to remember seeing the exact same thing on attack of the show a couple months ago.
WE ARE BORG. . PREPARE TO BE ASSIMILATED.
Ummmm.... Been done for a very long time. Attack of the show even stole it.
http://camerahacks.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=787
people need to quit taking credit for stuff thats already been done. In fact, I did this hack a couple of weeks ago, and I first hacked the camcorder last year.
nice.
You guys are just nasty. The thing on the tv is a guy with a surfboard during the movie 'Orange County.' Also, attack of the show may have made an infrared camera, it's been done for years by all kinds of people. I'm not taking credit for doing anything other than building my rig from scratch and by my own design. Furthermore, I didn't ask to be featured on Engadget, nor was I even told when they wrote the article. Don't bash me for putting up a project that some people think is interesting.
Jealousy... Very cool Everett. Bring it camping!
So if you don't want to record, can you get by without the usb hack?
Also, does this one work on the newer models?