Global bias- and distortion-free shutter sensors have been promised as the future of cameras for years, but only a handful of products with the technology have hit the market so far. Now, the Raspberry Pi offers a 1.6-megapixel global shutter camera module to hobbyists for $50, providing a platform for computer vision, hobbyist photography, and more.
The Raspberry Pi global shutter camera uses a 6.3mm Sony IMX296 sensor and requires a Raspberry Pi board with a CSI camera connector. Like other global shutter sensors, it works by pairing each pixel with an analog storage element, so that all pixels can simultaneously capture and store light signals.
By comparison, regular CMOS sensors read and store the light captured by pixels from top to bottom and left to right. That can cause diagonal skew on fast-moving subjects, or very strange distortion on spinning objects like propellers. The following video shows the difference with plucked guitar strings.
By eliminating those issues, the new camera enables distortion-free capture of things like sports or fast-moving industrial processes. The relatively low resolution isn’t an issue, the company says, as video is typically downscaled before going into machine vision systems anyway. It uses the same C/CS mount lens as the Raspberry Pi’s high-quality 12-megapixel camera, so it can connect both 6mm CS-mount and 16mm C-mount CGL lenses offered through reseller partners. of the company.
If you’re interested but concerned about delays, the Raspberry Pi recently posted that it’s been working to resolve supply chain issues. “We expect supply to recover to pre-pandemic levels in the second quarter of 2023 and unlimited in the second half of the year,” he said in a December blog post. The Global Shutter Camera is now available to purchase for $50.
