This article was taken from the December 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
Been wondering how to devise a low-cost remote trigger for your point-and-shoot camera? All you need is an electronic air-freshener, a screwdriver, some plywood, a few screws and some basic carpentry.
Prepare Your Components You'll need the internal components of a Glade Automatic Spray air-freshener. The plunger that causes an aerosol to spray scent can be used to make a camera's shutter fire. Unscrew the outer cover (leave the aerosol in tact) and remove the internals, preserving the button wiring. You can modify the battery case and leave the motor hooked up, or use a 3V battery box. You'll also need a 10cm x 20cm piece of 2cm-thick plywood, small nails, wood screws and an M6x1 screw to fasten the camera to your fixture.
Assemble the Chassis Cut the plywood into two equal pieces (the size of plywood you use may vary, depending on your camera). Place the camera on one piece of plywood roughly in the middle with the back of the camera aligned with the back edge of the wood. Mark the location of the camera's female tripod mount. Drill through here with a 0.3125 drill. Attach the other piece of wood with small nails to make an "L". The top edge should be slightly higher than the top of your camera.
Attach the electronics Screw the camera into the "L" formed by the two pieces of wood. Place the "finger" assembly on the wooden upright so that it can activate the trigger. Mark the position of its mounting hole.
Remove the camera and screw the air-freshener assembly to the upright base. Glue the outermost gear to keep it secure. Place the camera back in the assembly and fasten with a M6x1 bolt. Once adjusted, it can be used with a touch of the air-freshener button.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
