pantry camera idea

[4utoRoy]

I'm living with my 70YO dad now, and his wheelchair + poor vision means our pantry (a deep closet) is a black hole where food gets repurchased constantly.
I had an idea to install a small camera above every shelf so he can check the inventory live on his phone!

the thing is that no power outlets and I need a camera with local wifi, great night vision, and the ability to pan/zoom so he can see the back corners.

Has anyone done this? What tiny, awesome cams should I be looking at?
I also need to upgrade the security camera here. Should I just do a DIY, or just get a proper package?

 

[JadeArtist]

If you’re already upgrading security cams, you could tie both projects together. Some smart hubs support multi-camera feeds with different roles like pantry monitoring, front door, etc. I’d test a single shelf camera first just to see how your dad handles the app interface before scaling up.

 

[MasterDragon]

Power will be your main challenge, though. If you’re going with multiple cams, maybe use a single PoE line and a splitter for less mess, fewer power issues. Most sub-$50 mini cams have decent IR night vision, but make sure they’ve got manual focus or you’ll end up with blurry shelf labels.

 

[Alan]

Pantry cams are genius until you realize you’re basically running mission control for canned goods.

 

[Pearl]

A battery PT Wi-Fi camera with local SD storage works best here. Mount it high for shelf coverage.

DIY setups are possible but off-the-shelf options are way easier and more reliable long term