Created by Matthew Epler, Kinograph is an open source project that makes film digitisation affordable and scaleable. It uses components available on the internet, a few 3D printed parts, and a consumer level camera and it produces high quality video with sound.
There is a large number of film rolls sitting in storage and the cost of digitising these can range from 800$ per canister. The closest machine you can buy on the market now is KINETTA and costs $175,000. Kinograph, including all the parts and electronics together with a good DSLR camera and a lens will cost you a mere $3200. If you already own a DSLR, the total cost for the parts is $1,200.
Image capture is done using openFrameworks Raspberry Pi and Arduino while Image processing is done using Processing running openCV and AEO Sound. The openCV application is used to recognise the frame of each image. The AEO Sound allows you to line up the lines over the soundtrack and captures the audio component of the film. Components include 3d printed rollers (which can take 35, 16 and 8mm size films) , a frame that provides pressure to flatten the image and the take-up reel and remaining parts can be sourced online and cost kept to a minimum.
Kinograph is a thesis project completed at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program in the Spring of 2013. See the presentation video at the bottom for more background.
/ Thanks Dan.
