All Mowers - ESP32 Onboard Camera

Overview

Configure a standard ESP32 camera to add FPV video to the front of the mower. This video feed will be transmitted and shown in the Blynk app or viewed in a web browser. This allows a good tracking of the mower and an FPV experience in manual mode.

If you just want the video in a web browser use the ESP32_WEB_CAM_REP code. This has the advantage of a much better resolution and refresh rate (that's the way I used it in the video)

If you want the Blynk APP use the ESP32_CAM_Blynk code.

Parts Required

To give the mower a forward camera you will need an ESP32 Camera and a USB programming adapter to program the camera.

Programming the Board

You will need to download the ESP32 support for the Arduino IDE. Follow the instructions as shown in the GPS instructions to enable ESP32 capability.

Now choose the AI Thinker ESP32-CAM board in the menu

Unzip the ESP32 Camera code from the GITHUB website. (Either web browser code or Blynk browser code)

To upload the code we need to use the FTDI adapter as the ESP32 Camera board has no native USB slot. To do this we need to create this circuit. Ensure that the I00 and GND pins are bridged (green line).

I found that the FTDI adapter does not provide enough power to program the board so an external 5V power supply is recommended.

First enter your WIFI name and password in the Arduino Code so the ESP32 board can connect to the home network.

Now upload the code to the ESP32 Board. (I found i needed to first connect the 5V external power supply then plug in the USB cable to get a good upload to the board).

Configure the BLYNK App / Start the Web Browser.

Once the code is uploaded to the ESP32 board, remove the bridge between I00 and GND and open the serial monitor. Once the ESP32 board is connected to the WIFI the front LED will light up for 2 seconds. This signals a good connection to the WIFI. Note down the:

http://192.168. _ _ _ _ _ _

address shown once the board connects to your network. This is the internal network address of the camera within your network.

Input this address in your home web browser (connected to the same network) to test the video feed.

If you are using the Blank APP code:

Now open a new TAB in your existing Mower Blynk App. Name this CAM or whatever you like to call it.
Add a Video Streaming widget to the page. There is no need to give the video streaming app a PIN number.

I also relocated the manual mower controls (from the original APP) to this page to make driving the mower easier. This can be done by dragging the element to the tab page.

In the Blynk Video Streaming Widget add the URL you noted from the serial monitor and add /mjpeg/1

i.e. in my case http://192.168.1.24/mjpeg/1

Test that the video feed is working

You can always access the video feed from the website on the local network, but the camera can only provide 1 video feed. So its either Bynk or Website. (I noticed a video feed lag of 2 seconds with the Blynk App and the website was much better with little video lag)

The best experience was using the web browser on a PC and using the controls from the Blynk APP to steer the mower :)

Connect the Camera to the Mower

To operate the camera on the mower we need to disconnect all the wires for programming (you can cap them to use them later for programming but you need to remove the bridge), so make sure you are happy with the upload of the code. to run the camera we just need to give it a 5V supply. this can be connected to the 5V output we already have in the mower:

Choose Antenna Type

The internal antenna can be used or an external antenna can be connected. Choose by bridging the pads as shown:

Ensure at least that the internal antenna is activated otherwise the signal will be very poor

Location of the Camera:

330 Monster / LAM Monster

Please print the ESP32 Front Facia model to have a frame to insert the Camera. This is a direct replacement for the old Front Facia. This STl file is now included in the 330 Monster & LAM Monster Mower Pack

Other Mowers

An additional ESP32 STL part will be added to the other packs gradually as a suitable position is found for the camera.