Detect motion → Capture evidence → Upload to Google Drive → Alert your phone No Raspberry Pi. No local server. No computer left running.
Overview • Proof of Concept • Architecture • Features • Hardware • Quick Start • Setup Guide • Roadmap
SentinelCam-ESP32 turns a $6 ESP32-CAM board and a PIR motion sensor into a fully serverless physical security system. When motion is detected, the camera captures still images, uploads them straight to Google Drive through a Google Apps Script web app, and fires a Pushover push notification to your phone — all without a Raspberry Pi, a home server, or any machine that has to stay powered on.
Built for:
- 🏠 Private rooms & home offices
- 🏭 Warehouses & garages
- 🖥️ Server rooms & labs
- 🔐 Small offices and confidential areas
- 🎓 Budget-friendly IoT / physical security learning
⚠️ Ethical use only. This project is intended for defensive monitoring of spaces you own or have explicit permission to monitor. Do not use it for unauthorized surveillance.
This isn't a theoretical build. Below is the actual pipeline captured live, end to end, on July 2, 2026.
| Full Build | Wired & Powered | System Armed |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
| ESP32-CAM, PIR sensor, and spare modules laid out | Breadboard wired and running on a power bank | Close-up — LED lit, actively monitoring |
| Auto-Generated Event Folders | 3 Images Per Motion Event |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Every motion trigger creates its own timestamped folder automatically | Each event captures 3 evidence photos, saved instantly |
| Live Alert Feed | Alert Detail → Drive Link |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| A real stream of "ESP32-CAM Motion Alert" push notifications | Tapping an alert links straight to the captured evidence on Drive |
What this proves: motion at the PIR sensor → image captured on the ESP32-CAM → uploaded and folder-organized in Google Drive → push notification delivered to a phone, with a working link back to the evidence — the complete architecture, working, with timestamps to prove it.
flowchart TD
A[PIR Motion Sensor] -->|Motion HIGH on GPIO13| B[AI Thinker ESP32-CAM]
B -->|Capture JPEG Image| C[Base64 Encode]
C -->|HTTPS POST JSON| D[Google Apps Script Web App]
D -->|Validate DEVICE_SECRET| E{Authorized?}
E -->|No| F[Reject Request]
E -->|Yes| G[Decode Base64 Image]
G --> H[Create Event Folder in Google Drive]
H --> I[Save JPEG Evidence]
I --> J[Pushover API]
J --> K[📱 Mobile Security Alert]
Flow in plain English: PIR sensor trips → ESP32-CAM wakes and shoots 2–3 JPEGs → images are Base64-encoded and POSTed to a Google Apps Script endpoint → the script verifies a shared secret, saves the images into a timestamped Drive folder, and pushes a Pushover notification with a direct link to the evidence.
- 📸 Multi-image capture per motion event (configurable count & interval)
- ☁️ Serverless backend — Google Apps Script + Drive, zero hosting cost
- 🔔 Instant push alerts via Pushover, with a direct link to the Drive folder
- 🔐 Shared-secret authentication between device and backend
- ⏱️ PIR warm-up & cooldown logic to suppress false/duplicate triggers
- 🪫 Brownout-safe boot and automatic WiFi reconnection
- 💡 Status LED indicators for boot, WiFi connect, and motion events
- 🛠️ Fully configurable — image size, quality, cooldown, flash, and more
| Component | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AI Thinker ESP32-CAM | ✅ | Main camera + WiFi board |
| PIR Motion Sensor (HC-SR501) | ✅ | Recommended module |
| FTDI USB-to-Serial Adapter | ✅ | Needed to flash the firmware |
| Jumper Wires | ✅ | Male-to-female recommended |
| 5V / 1–2A Power Supply | ✅ | Stable power avoids brownouts |
| 10kΩ Resistor (GPIO13 → GND) | Recommended | Prevents floating pin |
| Breadboard | Optional | Useful during testing |
| Enclosure / Case | Optional | For final installation |
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Firmware | Arduino (C++) on ESP32-CAM |
| Transport | HTTPS POST (JSON + Base64 image) |
| Backend | Google Apps Script (serverless) |
| Storage | Google Drive |
| Notifications | Pushover API |
# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yesalphahere/SentinelCam-ESP32.git
cd SentinelCam-ESP32
# 2. Open the firmware in Arduino IDE
# File: ESP32CAM_PIR_Security_Alert_System.ino
# 3. Fill in your private values (WiFi, Web App URL, DEVICE_SECRET)
# 4. Deploy SentinelCam_CloudBridge_AppsScript.js to Google Apps Script
# (Deploy → Web App → Execute as Me → Access: Anyone)
# 5. Flash the ESP32-CAM, power it up, and arm the system📌 For the complete step-by-step walkthrough — wiring diagrams, Arduino IDE setup, Google Drive/Apps Script deployment, Pushover configuration, and troubleshooting — see the Full Setup Guide.
SentinelCam-ESP32/
│
├── ESP32CAM_PIR_Security_Alert_System.ino # ESP32-CAM Arduino firmware
├── SentinelCam_CloudBridge_AppsScript.js # Google Apps Script backend
├── SETUP_GUIDE.md # Full installation & setup guide
├── README.md # You are here
├── LICENSE # MIT License
└── assets/
├── banner.svg # README hero banner
├── hardware/ # Build photos
└── screenshots/
├── drive/ # Google Drive event proof
└── pushover/ # Pushover alert proof
This README is the project's front page. The complete, detailed instructions — wiring tables, PIR tuning, Arduino IDE configuration, Google Drive & Apps Script deployment, Pushover setup, first-boot testing, and a 15-point troubleshooting guide — live in:
Device-to-cloud requests are authenticated with a shared secret (DEVICE_SECRET) validated on every upload before any file is written or notification sent. All example configuration values in this repository are placeholders by design — no live credentials, endpoints, or tokens are published.
- Telegram notification support as a Pushover alternative
- Web dashboard for browsing captured events
- Multi-camera / multi-zone support
- Battery + solar power profile
Issues and pull requests are welcome. If you build on this project, please keep the ethical-use guidance intact and avoid publishing real credentials in examples.
Released under the MIT License — see LICENSE for details.
Project: SentinelCam-ESP32 Developed by: Sabir Ali (Alpha) Purpose: Defensive monitoring & educational IoT security automation
⭐ If this project helped you, consider starring the repo!