Sahib Virdee

Camera

May 2025

A series of 3D-printed camera mounts for the SARIT pedestrian detection system, built around OAK-D and OAK-D Pro stereo cameras.

[sarit oakd camera mount installed] — OAK-D camera mounted inside the SARIT frame; the mount had to stay rigid without drilling new structural holes.

Quick Read

Took over the camera mount project at version 3.
Checked fit, form, and function against the physical camera and SARIT frame.
Finalized v3 documentation in SolidWorks.
Designed an adjustable v4 mount for camera calibration.
Later returned to a simpler static v5 mount for the OAK-D Pro.
Learned a lot about designing 3D-printed parts for clamping, overhangs, and vibration.

Need

The technology team needed a rigid mount for the OAK-D stereo camera used in the pedestrian detection system.

The mount had to attach to the SARIT frame without drilling into structural members and without shifting during field use.

v3 - Finalizing Existing Work

The first two versions had been designed in Fusion 360 before I joined.

My work started at v3. I checked the existing prototype against the physical camera and the SARIT mounting point, then cleaned up the SolidWorks model.

The changes were small but practical:

Removed unnecessary fillets.
Tightened fit tolerances.
Checked assembly clearances.
Created drawings and assembly documentation.
Archived the finished version.

v4 - Adjustable Mount

During development, the detection team needed to physically adjust the camera angle.

v4 added tilt and swivel adjustment using mechanical fasteners and friction joints. The goal was a mount that could be loosened with a hex key, adjusted by hand, and tightened again.

The hard part was the joint.

Too little clamping force and the camera would drift. Too much clamping force and the printed plastic would deform or seize.

[sarit camera mount v4] — Adjustable camera mount prototype; the joint geometry was mostly about balancing adjustment range against clamp stiffness.

v5 - Static OAK-D Pro Mount

Once the camera calibration was stable, the adjustable mechanism was no longer needed.

v5 returned to a simpler static mount designed around the OAK-D Pro body.

Clean-sheet SolidWorks model.
Fewer overhangs.
Reduced unnecessary fillets.
Standard 1/4-20 hardware.
VESA M4 holes retained as backup mounting points.
Print orientation chosen to reduce supports.

What I Would Improve Now

I would test joint stiffness more formally instead of relying mostly on hand feel.

For a camera mount, small movement matters. A simple vibration or repeatability test would have made it easier to compare versions.