Scanning Camera Built from Flatbed Scanner

This project shows how an outdated flatbed scanner was turned into a cheap digital camera that can scan its surroundings.

During the assembly, the scanner was disassembled and the electronics was taken out along with the CCD image sensor and the stepper motor mechanism. A new mechanism was built to hold it all together while the CCD and lens assembly are rotated to scan its environment instead of a piece of paper.
An obsolete 35mm F/2.8 screw mount SLR camera lens was used for the lens. The lens has no anti-reflective coating with a completely manual aperture which even predates the automatic aperture reduction when the shutter is released. By cutting a slot in a block of wood, that CCD was mounted to it. The scanner’s PCB was mounted on the back side with the linear CCD while a lens cap was mounted on the wood and screwed the lens into that on the front side.
Two metal points are used where the lens and CCD assembly is rotated. The points are just the tips of screws which are easily adjusted. The scanner’s belt was run directly over the gears for rotation.

Rest of the project