I need to make an arrow camera.....

[pete]

Yup, attached to an arrow that you use with a bow. DT have challenged us.

My thoughts so far involve two arrows, one that takes photos going towards the target and another that takes photos going away from the archer. I have a vague idea of using old SD cards as flights, with the bonus that they can be used as storage too.

I'm eyeing up those almost-disposable keychain digital cameras as a cheap source of cameras and wiring it so it takes a stream of photos until someone turns it off or it runs out of storage/gets destroyed.

The arrow can look like a Heath-Robinson monstrosity and fly through the air like a hippo, the only considerations are a) it can be made to hit the target and b) we get some decent photos.

Any ideas?

[tmcd35]

Sounds like something of an electronics project. My first thought is to use a thick hollow shaft to contain the wires/circuitry and to pull apart an old web cam for the optics. Webcam lenses are nice a small so you may be able to come up with a design incorporating it in to the arrow head. Not sure if it'd survive more than one go at the target though.

[marco84]

how about adapting something like this

[LeMarchand]

What sort of budget do you have? You could "cheat" and use/cannibalise one of those rockets with built-in cams.

[alan-d]

What about a web cam from a mobile phone or laptop? It may be possible to get it to transmit pictures via wireless.

There are lots of spy cameras you could look at but they'd cost money!

[pete]

@tmcd35
I was hoping to put the lens behind the head of the arrow (due to the impacty smash elements). I suppose if you can still get hold of broadheads you could nearly put it on the tip (broadheads don't penetrate so far).

Budget is whatever I can scrounge in the workshop + ~£50 max.

I'm pondering a collar attachment on the front 1/4 of the arrow with sacrificial (if cheap enough) lenses. Or maybe the camera in a spring-loaded tube that pulls it back and inside just before impact.

[DrPerceptron]

Going back to RC days now...

See what your local RC shop can do for you, specifically air enthusiasts often have camera's attached to their equipment and it records very high quality (colour too) video from units that are getting on to be the size of a bottle cap (if not smaller) - some will even take a hefty battering.