Maybe your sister is wise to the Sister Catcher 1.0, or maybe you need maximum security for your next detective stakeout. Either way, the Sister Catcher 2.0 is more high-tech and will provide you with hard evidence of who broke in. This
room alarm works by activating a small single use film camera (like the ones you find in the drug store) to snap a picture of the culprit. With a single-use film camera you never have to worry about batteries running out or breaking your parents’ expensive digital camera. You’ll need to take the film to get developed afterwards in order to see the images (can you believe people used to have to do this for EVERY picture they took?). But having hard evidence is worth the challenge.
There’s a lot of engineering in this project, and every disposable camera is different so I can’t be specific with measurements. Don’t worry, you’re a detective - you can figure it out!
room alarm works by activating a small single use film camera (like the ones you find in the drug store) to snap a picture of the culprit. With a single-use film camera you never have to worry about batteries running out or breaking your parents’ expensive digital camera. You’ll need to take the film to get developed afterwards in order to see the images (can you believe people used to have to do this for EVERY picture they took?). But having hard evidence is worth the challenge.
There’s a lot of engineering in this project, and every disposable camera is different so I can’t be specific with measurements. Don’t worry, you’re a detective - you can figure it out!
Materials:
*metal coat hanger
*plastic pen (get the softer, more flexible kind) $
*single-use film camera (not digital)
*rope $ (optional)
*picture hanging eye screws $ (optional)
*elastic rubber band $
*plastic pen (get the softer, more flexible kind) $
*single-use film camera (not digital)
*rope $ (optional)
*picture hanging eye screws $ (optional)
*elastic rubber band $
Tools:
*hot glue gun
*pliers
*wire cutters
*small saw (hacksaw)
*marker
*file
*pliers
*wire cutters
*small saw (hacksaw)
*marker
*file
Steps:
1. Disassemble the plastic pen so you’re left with just the body. (Save the cap for the Claw Blaster. You can throw away the end plug and ink, or invent something new with them).
2. Align the pen along the side of the camera body. Use a hacksaw to cut the pen body to match the height of your disposable camera.
3. Next we’ll glue the cut pen to the camera. Because the camera and the pen are both smooth the glue won’t stick so well, so we’ll need to score or scratch both the pen and the camera side. Using a file, rub the cut pen portion and the side of the camera with the trigger to score the area.
4. Using hot glue, glue the pen to the scored side of the camera near the camera trigger. Be careful to make sure that no glue goes on or near the trigger or the film advance wheel.
5. Next, cut a portion of the coat hanger to act as the arm that pushes the trigger. Use the straight bottom section of
a coat hanger and the right angle at one side. Give yourself about 4-6 inches past the right angled section.
6. With pliers, form a triangle on one end so that one point of the triangle will push down directly on the camera
trigger. Feed the long tail end of the coat hanger through the pen body glued to the side of the camera and have the triangular tip resting on the camera trigger. After the tail end has been fed through the pen body, bend to a circle.
7. Wrap an elastic rubber band around the camera body going from the top to the bottom. Move the rubber band to the
trigger side of the camera. Stretch the rubber band and feed it into your triangle trigger pusher. This will prevent the triangle from jumping out and not being able to push the trigger.
8. Remove any of the “spider webs” from the hot glue, especially if they are in front of the lens or near any moving parts.
9. Find a safe place to put the camera that has a good view of the area you want a picture of. Secure your camera in place with some strong double sided tape, clamps, elastic rubber bands, or hold it steady in place some other way. Be careful not to tape the camera to furniture or walls. It will leave marks.
10. Tie some rope to the bottom loop of the bent coat hanger that is attached to the camera trigger.
11. Secure picture hanging eyehooks somewhere low to the ground near a busy walkway or by a door, then feed the rope through to make a low trip line. Only add eye hooks to wood that you are allowed to leave holes in.
12. The goal is to have the trip line pull on the rope, which will then trigger the camera and take a picture of the intruder. You
should probably test your system out before you really need it. Don’t worry, most single use cameras have 24 or more pictures, and you’ll really only need one picture to know who the intruder was. Also, don’t forget that you’ll need to wind the camera (advance the film) after each shot!
2. Align the pen along the side of the camera body. Use a hacksaw to cut the pen body to match the height of your disposable camera.
3. Next we’ll glue the cut pen to the camera. Because the camera and the pen are both smooth the glue won’t stick so well, so we’ll need to score or scratch both the pen and the camera side. Using a file, rub the cut pen portion and the side of the camera with the trigger to score the area.
4. Using hot glue, glue the pen to the scored side of the camera near the camera trigger. Be careful to make sure that no glue goes on or near the trigger or the film advance wheel.
5. Next, cut a portion of the coat hanger to act as the arm that pushes the trigger. Use the straight bottom section of
a coat hanger and the right angle at one side. Give yourself about 4-6 inches past the right angled section.
6. With pliers, form a triangle on one end so that one point of the triangle will push down directly on the camera
trigger. Feed the long tail end of the coat hanger through the pen body glued to the side of the camera and have the triangular tip resting on the camera trigger. After the tail end has been fed through the pen body, bend to a circle.
7. Wrap an elastic rubber band around the camera body going from the top to the bottom. Move the rubber band to the
trigger side of the camera. Stretch the rubber band and feed it into your triangle trigger pusher. This will prevent the triangle from jumping out and not being able to push the trigger.
8. Remove any of the “spider webs” from the hot glue, especially if they are in front of the lens or near any moving parts.
9. Find a safe place to put the camera that has a good view of the area you want a picture of. Secure your camera in place with some strong double sided tape, clamps, elastic rubber bands, or hold it steady in place some other way. Be careful not to tape the camera to furniture or walls. It will leave marks.
10. Tie some rope to the bottom loop of the bent coat hanger that is attached to the camera trigger.
11. Secure picture hanging eyehooks somewhere low to the ground near a busy walkway or by a door, then feed the rope through to make a low trip line. Only add eye hooks to wood that you are allowed to leave holes in.
12. The goal is to have the trip line pull on the rope, which will then trigger the camera and take a picture of the intruder. You
should probably test your system out before you really need it. Don’t worry, most single use cameras have 24 or more pictures, and you’ll really only need one picture to know who the intruder was. Also, don’t forget that you’ll need to wind the camera (advance the film) after each shot!
A Little Science Explanation:
There are six simple machines: wedge, inclined plane, lever, wheel and axle, pulley, and screw. My invention uses a wedge that pushes the camera trigger. If you use eye hooks to make a low trip line with rope, then you’re using a simple pulley too.
