Cloud camera design using a Raspberry Pi

摘要

The design and assembly of low cost all - sky camera for clouds detection is present ed. The instrument comply with all the requirements currently established for this type of instrument. Under the conditions of Cuba, it is impossible to acquire such a device, which costs between $ 600 and $ 3500 USD. Using a Raspberry Pi, its camera mo dule with a CMOS sensor and a unipolar stepper motor (recovered from a discontinued matrix printer) we have built a sky camera for less than $ 300 USD. The Raspberry Pi, using free software and hardware, will control and conduct the operation of the camer a, the image capturing, the processing and the transmission of the latter results. Among the advantages provided for this device stand objectively determining the percentages of sky covered by clouds, the ability to archive images taken for potential futu re reprocessing, the classifications of clouds according to the attenuation of solar radiation they produce, among others. All this advantages will be achieved with an instrument of v ery low cost, allowing access to this technology for both res earch netwo rks and meteorological serv ices in poor countries