Facial recognition technology has become increasingly accessible thanks to advancements in affordable hardware like the Raspberry Pi. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through setting up a facial recognition project using a Raspberry Pi and some essential components.

Required Components

1. Raspberry Pi: We recommend using the latest Raspberry Pi 5 for optimal performance.
2. Camera Module: Either the Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 or the Raspberry Pi Camera Module will work well.
3. MicroSD Card: A minimum of 16GB is recommended for the Raspberry Pi OS and necessary software. You can find one here.
4. Power Supply: Ensure you have a compatible power supply for the Raspberry Pi 5. Check options here.
5. Optional: A case to protect your Raspberry Pi, available here.

Setting Up Your Raspberry Pi

1. Install Raspberry Pi OS:

   • Download Raspberry Pi Imager from the official Raspberry Pi website.
   • Insert your MicroSD card into your computer.
   • Use Raspberry Pi Imager to install the Raspberry Pi OS onto the MicroSD card.

2. Initial Setup:

   • Insert the MicroSD card into the Raspberry Pi.
   • Connect the Raspberry Pi to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
   • Power on the Raspberry Pi and complete the initial setup, including setting up Wi-Fi and updating the OS.

Installing Required Software

1. Update the system:

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get upgrade
   

2. Install Python and necessary libraries:

   sudo apt-get install python3-pip
   pip3 install opencv-python-headless
   pip3 install face-recognition
   

3. Enable the Camera:

   • Open the Raspberry Pi configuration tool:

     sudo raspi-config
     

   • Navigate to Interface Options and enable the camera.

Setting Up the Camera

1. Connect the Camera Module:

   • Ensure the Raspberry Pi is powered off.
   • Connect the camera module to the Raspberry Pi’s camera port.

2. Test the Camera:

   • Boot up the Raspberry Pi and test the camera with the following command:

     raspistill -o test.jpg
     

   • This command captures an image and saves it as test.jpg.

Writing the Facial Recognition Script

1. Create a Python Script:

   • Open a text editor and create a new file called facial_recognition.py:

     import cv2
     import face_recognition
     
     video_capture = cv2.VideoCapture(0)
     
     while True:
         ret, frame = video_capture.read()
         rgb_frame = frame[:, :, ::-1]
     
         face_locations = face_recognition.face_locations(rgb_frame)
         for top, right, bottom, left in face_locations:
             cv2.rectangle(frame, (left, top), (right, bottom), (0, 255, 0), 2)
     
         cv2.imshow('Video', frame)
     
         if cv2.waitKey(1) & 0xFF == ord('q'):
             break
     
     video_capture.release()
     cv2.destroyAllWindows()
     

2. Run the Script:

   • Execute the script with:

     python3 facial_recognition.py
     

Conclusion

With these steps, you should have a basic facial recognition system up and running on your Raspberry Pi. For more advanced functionalities, consider exploring the extensive capabilities of the face_recognition library and OpenCV.

Feel free to explore additional accessories and modules on the Raspberry Pi Australia website to enhance your project further. Happy coding!