OBSBOT Camera MCP Server

MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for PTZ camera control with gimbal positioning, snapshots, and AI visual analysis integration.

Designed for OBSBOT Tiny SE but works with any UVC PTZ camera that supports v4l2 controls.

Features

Full Gimbal Control: Pan, tilt, zoom with safety limits
Real-time Position Feedback: Human-readable directions
Camera Snapshots: High-resolution capture
Visual Analysis: LM Studio integration for vision-language models
Area Scanning: Horizontal, vertical, grid, and panoramic patterns
Autonomous Search: Shell scripts for systematic exploration
Python Library: Direct control for custom applications

Requirements

System

Linux with v4l2 support
Node.js 18+ (for MCP server)
Python 3.8+ (for Python library)

Packages

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install v4l-utils ffmpeg python3-opencv

# Fedora
sudo dnf install v4l-utils ffmpeg python3-opencv

Optional

LM Studio for visual analysis
Vision-language model (e.g., Qwen2.5-VL, LLaVA)

Installation

MCP Server

cd obsbot-camera-mcp
npm install

Python Library

pip install opencv-python

Configuration

Environment Variables

export OBSBOT_DEVICE="/dev/video0"           # Camera device
export OBSBOT_OUTPUT_DIR="/tmp/obsbot"       # Capture directory
export LM_STUDIO_URL="http://localhost:1234/v1/chat/completions"
export OBSBOT_VL_MODEL="qwen2.5-vl-7b-instruct"

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add to ~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsbot": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/obsbot-camera-mcp/src/obsbot-mcp-server.mjs"],
      "env": {
        "OBSBOT_DEVICE": "/dev/video0"
      }
    }
  }
}

Usage

MCP Server Tools

get_gimbal_position

Get current pan, tilt, zoom with readable directions.

control_gimbal

Move gimbal to absolute position.

Pan: -468000 (right) to 468000 (left)
Tilt: -324000 (down) to 324000 (up)
Zoom: 0 (wide) to 12 (telephoto)

center_camera

Return to neutral position (0, 0, 0).

take_snapshot

Capture image with optional LM Studio analysis.

{
  "analyzeWithLM": true,
  "customPrompt": "Describe what you see"
}

look_and_analyze

Move camera and take analyzed snapshot in one operation.

scan_area

Systematic multi-position scan.

{
  "pattern": "horizontal",  // or vertical, grid, panoramic
  "steps": 5
}

check_system_status

Verify camera and LM Studio availability.

Python Library

from python.obsbot_control import OBSBOTController

camera = OBSBOTController()
camera.connect()

# Move to position
camera.set_position(pan=200000, tilt=100000, zoom=2)

# Use presets
camera.preset_position("left")
camera.preset_position("center")

# Capture
camera.save_frame("snapshot.jpg")

# Scan
results = camera.scan_horizontal(steps=5, capture=True)

camera.disconnect()

Shell Script

# Basic search
./scripts/autonomous_scan.sh "find the window"

# Grid pattern with verbose output
./scripts/autonomous_scan.sh --pattern grid --verbose "locate books"

# Quick scan
./scripts/autonomous_scan.sh --pattern quick "identify objects"

Camera Compatibility

Tested with:

OBSBOT Tiny SE
OBSBOT Meet

Should work with any UVC PTZ camera supporting:

pan_absolute control
tilt_absolute control
zoom_absolute control

Check your camera's controls:

v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video0 --list-ctrls

Gimbal Directions

The v4l2 control values map to directions:

Pan: Positive = LEFT, Negative = RIGHT
Tilt: Positive = UP, Negative = DOWN
Zoom: Higher = telephoto (zoomed in)

Troubleshooting

Camera not found

v4l2-ctl --list-devices
ls -la /dev/video*

Permission denied

sudo usermod -a -G video $USER
# Logout and login again

Controls not working

# Check available controls
v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video0 --list-ctrls

# Test manual control
v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video0 --set-ctrl=pan_absolute=100000

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file

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