A Raspberry Pi–based photo kiosk for Pinewood Derby events that automatically captures and uploads racer photos and car photos into DerbyNet using a barcode scanner.
This project is a companion tool designed to work with the DerbyNet race management system: https://github.com/jeffpiazza/derbynet
The system allows race staff to quickly photograph racers and cars without manual file handling. A barcode is scanned, the camera captures the image, the photo is automatically cropped, and the image is uploaded directly to DerbyNet.
Designed for simplicity, reliability, and low cost, the Photo Kiosk runs entirely on a Raspberry Pi and requires minimal operator interaction.
This project was inspired by the DerbyNet barcode photo capture workflow demonstrated here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR5vDUBemx4 The goal was to extend that workflow into a self-contained Raspberry Pi kiosk that can run independently at photo stations.
The kiosk automates the process of capturing and uploading racer or car photos.
Typical workflow:
- A racer arrives at the photo station.
- Staff scans the racer's barcode from the check-in sheet or badge.
- The kiosk confirms the scan.
- A countdown begins (in racer/headshot mode).
- The camera captures the photo.
- The image is automatically cropped.
- The photo is uploaded to DerbyNet.
- Kiosk shows the uploaded image on DerbyNet and racer's name & car name.
- The kiosk resets and waits for the next racer.
The entire process typically takes 10–20 seconds per racer.
The kiosk listens to a USB barcode scanner that behaves like a keyboard. When a barcode is scanned the system automatically starts the photo workflow.
Supports both:
- USB webcams (
fswebcam) - DSLR cameras (
gphoto2)
If a DSLR is connected it is used automatically. Otherwise the system falls back to a webcam.
Photos are automatically cropped based on a configurable percentage so the final image focuses on the racer or car.
Photos are uploaded directly to the DerbyNet API using a configured role account. No manual file transfers are required.
Optionally triggers DerbyNet to automatically mark a racer as Passed after the car photo is taken.
The kiosk runs full-screen Chromium in kiosk mode with a simple interface.
Optional countdown audio and sound effects help guide scouts during photo capture.
If DerbyNet becomes unreachable the kiosk switches to a network error screen and automatically retries until connectivity returns.
Minimum recommended hardware:
-
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3+ (1GB RAM)
-
Raspberry Pi 4 or Raspberry Pi 5
(primarily developed and tested on Compute Module 3+ & Raspberry Pi 5 both with 1GB RAM) -
Raspberry Pi OS Desktop
-
USB barcode scanner
(tested with Symbol scanners and Onewscan USB 1D scanners) (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4DG2VBX) Onewscan produces more bad scans then symbol one we’ve found, even after limiting the input to only Code-128 on the scanner -
Camera (one of the following):
- USB webcam
- DSLR camera supported by
gphoto2
Tested cameras:
- Canon Rebel T2i DSLR
- Logitech Pro 9000 webcam
Required peripherals:
- HDMI display
- Keyboard (for setup)
Optional:
- Touch screen display
- USB speakers / HDMI audio
- LED lighting for better photos
The kiosk relies entirely on standard Linux utilities:
- Apache
- PHP
- Python
- Chromium (kiosk browser)
- fswebcam
- gphoto2
- ImageMagick
- curl + jq
No proprietary software is required.
We typically capture racer headshots about a month before the derby.
Workflow:
- Enter racers into DerbyNet in advance.
- Print check-in passes containing barcodes.
- Scouts locate their pass.
- A helper scans the barcode while the racer stands on a marked X on the floor.
- After a successful upload the kiosk displays the uploaded image and racers name and announces the racer’s name.
Because some younger scouts cannot yet spell or write well, we have an older scout help write the car name on the check-in tag, which is entered into DerbyNet later.
The night before Derby Day we perform:
- Final inspection
- Weigh-in
- Impound
After a car passes inspection it moves to the Car Photo Station.
Process:
- The car is placed inside a 16×12×12 photo box.
- The box floor contains wheel cutouts so cars are always placed in the same location.
- The barcode is scanned.
- The kiosk captures and uploads the car photo.
- After a successful upload the kiosk displays the uploaded image and racers name and announces the racer’s name. During car photo mode the system also announces the car name along with a randomly selected fun or inspirational racing phrase.
This ensures consistent car photos across all racers.
On race day the same Raspberry Pi can be reused as a DerbyNet display kiosk.
After booting the Pi automatically redirects to the DerbyNet display page after ~90 seconds.
While in Racer Mode or Car Mode, an admin panel can be accessed.
Triple-tap the event logo to open the admin page. (event logo is downloaded from DerbyNet instance)
Admin options include:
- Adjust crop percentage
- Enable or disable Auto Pass
Auto Pass is typically used during car photos because the car has already passed inspection.
The system can be operated entirely using barcodes without touching the screen. (with the exception of setting crop %)
At the startup screen scanning a barcode can trigger:
- Racer Mode
- Car Mode
- DerbyNet Display Mode
- Close Chrome
Additional barcodes allow administrators to:
- Set Racer Ready
- Set Racer Not Ready
- Close Chrome
The project includes an installer that can rebuild the entire kiosk on a fresh Raspberry Pi.
The installer automatically:
- Installs required packages
- Configures Apache
- Enables Chromium kiosk mode
- Configures autologin
- Deploys Photo Station files
- Sets correct permissions
- Configures audio output
- Installs the system service
- Tests camera, scanner, and network connectivity
A kiosk can be rebuilt in minutes before an event.
To keep the system simple and reliable the Photo Station intentionally does not provide:
- A full photo management system
- Image editing tools
- Facial recognition
- Cloud storage
- Multi-camera switching
- Direct printing
All photo management is handled by DerbyNet.
Many Pinewood Derby events want racer photos in DerbyNet, but capturing them manually is slow and error-prone, or recalling which picture goes with which racer.
This kiosk makes photo capture:
- fast
- consistent
- kid-friendly
- inexpensive
The entire system runs on hardware that costs less than a typical race timer.
- Pack-level Pinewood Derby events
- District Pinewood Derby events
- Check-in stations
- Car inspection stations
- Racer badge photos
The goal of this project is to provide a simple, reliable, and inexpensive solution for Pinewood Derby photo capture that any pack can deploy.
We prioritize:
- reliability
- simplicity
- ease of deployment
- low hardware cost
- racer's name is prefixed to all pictures taken for easier downloading after the fact and knowing who's who.
This kiosk system was developed while preparing for our pack’s Pinewood Derby. Although I am relatively new to Git and open-source development, the system was successfully used to run what ended up being our most efficient and smoothly run derby event so far.
Using DerbyNet together with this kiosk allowed us to quickly capture racer and car photos with minimal effort during check-in and inspection. The process reduced manual work for volunteers and kept the photo station moving smoothly.
While the project began as a solution for our own event, it was intentionally designed to support a wide range of DerbyNet deployments. Many features were built with the broader community in mind, including safeguards and error handling to help the kiosk recover gracefully from common issues such as network interruptions, camera failures, barcode scan errors, or DerbyNet connectivity problems.
Many hours went into testing and debugging a wide range of scenarios that can occur during Derby events. Where possible the kiosk includes checks and recovery behavior so the system can continue operating with minimal volunteer intervention.
Like any project, there is always room for improvement. The goal was to make sure the core functionality was reliable and ready for real events while keeping the system simple enough that other packs can deploy it easily.
Contributions and improvements are welcome.
Contributions are welcome.
Areas where improvements would be valuable include:
- UI improvements
- better camera support
- optional audio prompts
- improved installation tooling
- documentation for new users
Choose between:
- Car Photo Mode
- Racer Photo Mode
- DerbyNet Display Mode
Place the car in the photo box and scan the racer's barcode to automatically capture and upload the car photo.
Scouts stand on the floor marker while another scout scans their barcode to capture their headshot.
The kiosk shows visual feedback while the photo is captured and uploaded to DerbyNet.
After a successful upload the racer receives confirmation and a personalized message.
Administrators can adjust crop percentage and take test photos before the event.