ESP32-CAM Video Streaming Camera that works with Node-RED and Home Assistant

In this video I will show you the #ESP32-CAM. This is the cheapest WIFI camera that I've ever found on the market. Also This tiny #Camera can stream video via web server and can work with Node-RED & #HomeAssistant and I will show you how.
1:07 Requirements
5:44 Node-RED integration
8:13 Home Assistant integration
9:31 How to create a ESP32-CAM cable
11:30 mounting ESP32-CAM inside fake security camera case
Steps
To make this camera to work as I want I will flash it will Arduino sketch which will actually start a mini Web Server inside it that can be accessed from any web browser and of course Node-Red and Home-Assistant.
Before I continue I want to say that all the credits for the Arduino sketch and the Idea as a whole goes to the guys from randomnerdtutorials.com. They have a great video and article about ESP32-CAM showing how to flash the camera and how to integrate it with Home Assistant. So thank you guys for your great work.
Be careful with the ESP32-CAM model, there a 4-5 different brands out there the one that you want is Ai-Thinker.
To complete this tutorial you will need:
* A computer with USB and Arduino installed - www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
* ESP32-CAM with OV2640 - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_sD0uUd around $10
* FTDI programmer - amzn.to/3Cxe0KM around $1.65
* Female-to-female jumper wires - amzn.to/2F69gxt around $7 ($0.12 for two wires)
* Fake/dummy dome security camera (optional) - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_rIrELj around $4
* 5V power supply for ESP32-CAM - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_sGcdip around $1.5
Other brands may also work, but it's not guaranteed. I tried with the one camera that looks the same, but it has no labels on it and everything went fine, but at the end there is some strange flickering during the streaming.
With that being said lets flash the ESP32-CAM now:
* Install Arduino IDE for your OS
* Go to Arduino \ Preferences
* Enter dl.espressif.com/dl/package_e... into the “Additional Board Manager URLs”
* Go to Tools \ Board \ Boards Manager…
* Install “ESP32 by Espressif Systems“ for me only version 1.0.2 worked OK
* Copy and paste the following sketch inside your Arduino - github.com/peyanski/ESP32-CAM...
* Replace SSID and password with your WIFI credentials
* If you are using other ESP32-CAM model than Ai-Thinker uncomment your camera model in the code
* Connect the ESP32-CAM board to your computer using an FTDI adapter and Follow the diagram in the video.
* Chose all the settings in Arduino exactly as shown in the video
* Click the upload button to upload the code.
* After uploading the code, disconnect IO0 from GND. Open the Serial Monitor at a baud rate of 115200. Press the ESP32-CAM on-board Reset button. The ESP32 IP address should be printed in the Serial Monitor.
Node-RED integration
* Inside Node-RED Install node-red-dashboard from Manage Palette menu, if you don’t have it already
* Import the whole flow from here - github.com/peyanski/ESP32-CAM...
* Don’t forget to create and assign Group and Tab to the template in your Node-RED
* Open your dashboard
Home Assistant integration
* Click on Configure UI in the upper right corner
* Click on the Plus button in the lower right corner
* Click on the Picture Card
* Type the URL of the ESP32-CAM in the Image Path of the Picture Card Configuration
Question?
Are you interested in image recognition software - you can say yes or no in the comments section bellow and I will know for what you are talking about.
Support my work
Any sort of engagement on this channel does really help out a lot with the KZbin algorithm, so make sure you hit the subscribe, Like and Bell buttons If you enjoy this video.
Also feel free to add me on Twitter by searching for KPeyanski username. I post there pretty much daily.
I really hope that you find this information useful and you are going to make your ESP32-CAM to work with Node-RED, Home Assistant and as video streaming web-server
Thank you for watching, stay safe and see you next time.
DISCLAIMER
Some of the links above are affiliate links, where I earn a small commission if you click on the link and purchase an item. You are not obligated to do so, but it does help fund these videos in hopes of bringing value to you!

[@knockbeforeyouenter]

i saw it :p

[@KPeyanski]

Great, you receive a pinned comment as a reward!

[@colinrogers9927]

Thanks for the video. Nice to see multiple ways to view your cameras

[@KPeyanski]

You are welcome 🙏

[@smartatwork2344]

Hey Kiril nice video and i like your descriptions, so we can read the instruction for own projects. Thx

[@KPeyanski]

Thank you! I tried to make them as detailed as possible and very often I hit the 5000 char limits for a KZbin video description

[@konradwiniarski]

Respect for the soldering iron! I was using similar, made in CCCP in 1978 until I switched to some modern one around 20 years ago ;) - SMD0805 were the challenging to solder.

[@KPeyanski]

Haha thanks, although this soldering iron is still working perfectly fine, I bought another one for more precise soldering :)

[@rodrik5000]

Hi Kiril, It's really works. Took 5 minutes to arrange all and works exellent. Spaciba ;)

[@KPeyanski]

Great to hear! Check my other videos as well they are working as well :)

[@noweare1]

I am glad I found your videos. I am a big fan of the esp32. I know you made this video 3 years ago so maybe something has changed. After following your video using node-red for the display. I get only a small icon on the dashboard. I did check to make sure the camera is working by using esp32 ip in a browser. I am not that experienced with node-red. I tried a bunch of things without success. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[@tovmax1]

I also think that intellectual video analysis in real time is very interesting and promising at once. The only downside is that it requires more computational power.

[@KPeyanski]

Yes, you are absolutely right Max as always ;). Good thing is that there a several cloud services for that and they even have some kind of free tier. I have to research a bit more this topic

[@KPeyanski]

Hi Max, can I use this comment of yours in my next video?

[@tovmax1]

@@KPeyanski Yes, feel free to use any of my comments however you like.

[@KPeyanski]

Great to hear that Max. Thanks.

[@mrbarrington-smythe9033]

Thanks. Could you do an update video, adding a microphone and speaker please? I'd like to build this project, but need help to add the two-way communication (hopefully it can be achieved with minimum lag).

[@KPeyanski]

Very sorry, but I'm not using these anymore and I don't plan updates at least for now...

[@ronm6585]

Yes, I am interested and thank you.

[@KPeyanski]

Thank you Ron.

[@KPeyanski]

Hello Ron, can I use your comment in my next video?

[@ronm6585]

@@KPeyanski Yes sir you can.

[@KPeyanski]

@@ronm6585 Thank you Ron. See you around...

[@7Trident3]

Great video, add a relay, and use the led's.

[@KPeyanski]

Thanks for the tip!

[@marmao78]

I would like to propose a challenge for you. My challenge is to add face recognition to your doorbell project. There are several codes available for face recognition and after that, use Alexa to announce who is outside. I think you are the best person to do that. I will be happy to see your solution.

[@KPeyanski]

Thanks for the challenge, I will think about it ...

[@sopyvengers4616]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Its work. I want to ask, it doesn't matter right if I use mobile tethering or wifi ? or which one is the best for internet connection?

[@KPeyanski]

Hay there, I’m glad that is working. If I understood your question correctly use Wi-Fi when you are at home and mobile tethering when you roaming around.

[@sopyvengers4616]

@@KPeyanski sir, the node-red need to install in my laptop (windows) if I want to use? or it can set up through the web browser. if need to install, can you share the link to download? because I'm trying many times, it didn't work. this part I'm a little bit confuse.

[@jgarmoreira]

Hi Kiril. Which pins you use to connect the black/red wires to power up the esp32?

[@KPeyanski]

Hi, I forgot the exact PIN numbers, but I used the 5V and any of the GND pins exactly as shown in this picture in my website (scroll down a bit) - peyanski.com/esp32-cam-video-streaming-camera-that-works-with-node-red-and-home-assistant/#Flashing_the_ESP32-CAM

[@ghoond1314]

i tried with esp32-cam color detection, i use the IP Address but the entire website are displayed on template

[@billypoe3703]

I am interested in imagine recognition. Also false recognition/motion editing.

[@pie2566]

Hi I have problem with your setup of node-red it shows me the dashboard but the view is just an image icon is there any additional step?

[@noweare1]

same here. I suspect something has changed in node-red since he made this video.

[@pie2566]

Hi can I know the exact model for the FTDI programmer ? The amazon link cannot be accessed anymore

[@KPeyanski]

It is the same as this one - amzn.to/3Cxe0KM

[@SprocketN]

Hi, thanks for doing this. I followed the steps and it worked 😀 I have a question though. I am using NodeRed and I can only view the live feed on one device at a time, the other devices show a blank area where the feed would be. is this normal? If so, is there a fix to allow the stream to go to multiple devices?

[@KPeyanski]

I don't know that

[@SprocketN]

@@KPeyanski Thanks for replying. I’ll keep investigating 😀

[@KPeyanski]

@@SprocketN Wish you success! And please share it if you find something ;)

[@rebetli6]

Yes. I am interested in image recognition software!

[@KPeyanski]

Thumbs up. This is actually in my TODO list. I want to find a way for Home Assistant or Node-RED compatible camera to motion detect only people and not animals for example. What is your idea for image recognition?

[@rebetli6]

@@KPeyanski Hi, I think about reading a gas meter for example. Take a picture and make numbers from the picture with OCR, where I can find out my gas consuption, ( or any anaog meter ). I think there is no need a lot of local compute power, instead we can use cloud. For examble if you upload a picture to google drive, it can make an OCR , and download the recognised file only. I don't now but I think it is possible with API calls. If yes I think it is possible to do with Node-Red. What do you think?

[@KPeyanski]

@@rebetli6 This can be really useful. And I think it's absolutely possible as there are already integrated software to read car number plates for example. But I'm not sure if it is going to be entirely free if you are trying to call some cloud API services. This has to be researched in my opinion.

[@KPeyanski]

Hey there, can I use your comment above in my next video?

[@rebetli6]

KPeyanski Yes. Sure!

[@esbenbuckingrasmussen]

I tried following your video, but your wiring of your FDI board does not match the actual marking on the pins on the board. It seems like your connection diagram is drawn in reverse. So I didn't know whether to follow your wiring or the markings on the FDI board.

[@KPeyanski]

What is FDI board? Did you mean FTDI adapter/programmer? If yes then follow the markings of your adapter, there are different versions available and maybe there are differences with the pin out.

[@milano3829]

how can i increase the resolution to (XGA) 1024*768 , and with its frame rate can i use img/ facial regonition?

[@KPeyanski]

Sorry, I'm not sure about that.

[@cornelfs1789]

Hi kirill, not sure about that question so I hope that u Will answer it corectly... Do the esp32 cam is able to use further than just being a camera? I mean, it ve got the esp32 so i wanna be able to move a servo while i can Take a photo from what the camera is seeing... It is that posible?

[@KPeyanski]

I don’t know. Probably it’s possible you just have to find the right sensors and mechanics for that. It seems like a nice project 👍

[@SprocketN]

Unfortunately, the ESP32 has only one unused GPIO pin when you use an SD card. Without an SD card inserted I understand you can use the pins allocated to it, but I’m not sure.

[@gregorywarner1408]

Yes. Very interested also in image recognition.

[@KPeyanski]

Thanks Gregory. It seems that there is a lot of interest in that topic. I will try to read more about it and eventually to create a video tutorial

[@KPeyanski]

Gregory, can I use your comment in my next video?

[@MrCWoodhouse]

Make sure to set the FTDI signal levels to 3.3v.

[@KPeyanski]

Yes, this is important :) Thanks for the comment!

[@pie2566]

How do u handle the IP change if the ESP32cam is turn off ?

[@KPeyanski]

make a static IP for it in your router

[@motivation.ai.shorts]

Is it okay to power Esp32 cam board?. Because this cable carries 5v,2A ....or. 5v&1.5A ... depending upon charger adapter. It can damage esp32cam.. Give me some explanation

[@KPeyanski]

you better check the chip specification, I don't want to mislead you because I'm not quite sure

[@motivation.ai.shorts]

@@KPeyanski My cam board has. 3.3v pin and also has a 5v pin

[@lucavisconti1872]

Is the video streaming available locally only or you can stream from everywhere?

[@KPeyanski]

Locally, if you want to see it from everywhere you can use a VPN. Here are some video tutorials of mine that you can use - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpecqZ2DqLOJl6s kzbin.info/www/bejne/onfQlnlrrdR0hqs

[@Manuqtix.Manuqtix]

Mine keeps on saying failed to connect to ESP32: timed out waiting for packet header I tried absolutely everything Switching 3.3v to 5v Checked ftdi drivers Checked ftdi wiring Used board wrover and aithinker Pushed rest button Changed usb cables Changed computers Nothing seems to work. What am I doing wrong?

[@noweare1]

do you get the video on the ip of the esp32 ?

[@farouktilaoui7489]

Can we use this with mqtt protocol?

[@KPeyanski]

Probably yes, but not with this Arduino sketch

[@notofinterest]

Yes

[@KPeyanski]

Just in time Christian. Can I use your comment in my next video?

[@notofinterest]

KPeyanski of course you can!

[@KPeyanski]

Thank you :)

[@technophile01]

hi, can we see the images with 4G?

[@KPeyanski]

I don’t understand. Are you talking about cellular network? If yes, you will need a VPN for that.

[@mszura1898]

Yes this is ultimate goal 😁 And you had terrible solder iron 😭

[@KPeyanski]

Yes, I know. And I just bought a new cordless one, that I didn’t have time to test yet. However this is truly the ultimate goal for me as well. Thank you for your comment

[@mszura1898]

@@KPeyanski would you put some test video on channel?

[@KPeyanski]

Michał Szura of the soldering iron ? :)

[@KPeyanski]

Hi Michal, can I use your comment in my latest video that I plan to release next week?

[@mszura1898]

@@KPeyanski no problem in fact why ask it's obvious

[@pradeeps4826]

this esp32cam will support audio streaming ????

[@KPeyanski]

no, sorry

[@dalisaidane5529]

how does that work with arduino nano plz?

[@KPeyanski]

I'm not sure. I guess you have to test it...

[@thom11s18]

Where can I find the sketch ?

[@KPeyanski]

Check the video description

[@lovekeshstatuspro5296]

Is it work on different WiFi network ? Anywhere access in world

[@KPeyanski]

lokesh saini yes, but you have to change the SSID and password in the script. If I understood your question correctly

[@lovekeshstatuspro5296]

Sir is it access anywhere in the world ? The device is location or access location is different locations .then is it work ?

[@KPeyanski]

You can access the camera from anywhere in the world only if you have some kind of VPN. Watch my ZeroTier video to setup a VPN.

[@lovekeshstatuspro5296]

@@KPeyanski sir please send link of zerotier video ? Sir I want esp 32 cam. Access anywhere in the world .

[@KPeyanski]

@@lovekeshstatuspro5296 this is the link - kzbin.info/www/bejne/onfQlnlrrdR0hqs

[@brian.hanifin]

Yes

[@KPeyanski]

Very Good, Brian. Thanks for your comment.

[@KPeyanski]

Hi Brian, can I use your an image of your comment in my video that I'm about to release next week?

[@brian.hanifin]

KPeyanski absolutely

[@KPeyanski]

Thanks Brian. I highly appreciate that :)