Client Hardware

The following instructions will teach you how to set up the hardware aspect of the client devices for this project

The clients for this project are multiple Raspberry Pi devices with the camera module installed.

Out-of-the-box Pi

To initially boot up the Raspberry Pi, follow the setup instructions on the official Raspberry Pi webpage, then plug in the power supply and an HDMI cable to a monitor. Also needed are a USB keyboard and mouse to control input and movement on the screen.

Attaching the Camera Module

Similarly, the camera module can be installed by following the instructions on the official Raspberry Pi webpace.

Test whether the camera is attached by opening up a terminal window and running the command vcgencmd get_camera. The output should be supported=1, detected=1. If the value for detected is 0, then the camera hardware may be faulty and should be replaced.

Initial Configuration

The following steps are required to configure the pi system before it can be used as a client.

  1. Connect to a wifi network. The Pi should prompt the user to connect to one during the first boot, but if that step was skipped then, it is required now.

  2. Note down the ip address of the Pi. This can be done by opening a terminal window and running the command ifconfig and reading the inet addr listed under the type of network connection.

  3. Enable SSH on the pi by going to Main Menu > Preferences > Raspberry Pi Configuration > Interfaces and select “enabled” next to SSH. Reboot the pi for changes to take effect. For security, it’s recommended to change the default password when enabling SSH.

  4. Change the host name of the Raspberry Pi by going to Main Menu > Preference > Raspberry Pi Configuration. This will make it easier to differentiate the Pi’s later, especially when there are more connected to the server.