CAIM1 camera uses Prusament PETG, open RISC-V secure element for cryptographic video attestation

Prusa Research has detailed its collaboration with the CAIM1 camera project, a handheld device designed to cryptographically attest that video and images are authentic captures rather than AI-generated or manipulated content. The camera's enclosure is 3D-printed using Prusament PETG in Noctua brand colors, chosen for its ±0.02mm diameter tolerance, thermal stability up to 68–75 °C, and impact resistance required for field production use. Inside the housing, a Tropic Square TROPIC01 RISC-V secure element provides auditable hardware-based cryptographic signing, while a Noctua NF-A4x10 5V PWM fan and unified cooling duct manage thermal loads from 4K60 video processing combined with concurrent cryptographic operations.

The CAIM1 team selected additive manufacturing over injection molding specifically to enable rapid overnight iteration of complex internal airflow geometry and external ergonomics based on feedback from working videographers and photographers. The project represents a convergence of Central European open hardware capabilities: Czech-produced Prusament materials and Tropic Square's open-source RISC-V silicon combined with Austrian thermal engineering from Noctua.

Open hardware architecture and thermal design

• RISC-V secure element: The Tropic Square TROPIC01 is a fully auditable, open-source RISC-V secure element used as a Web3 hardware wallet for cryptographic attestation, replacing closed proprietary silicon.
• Thermal management: A unified single-airstream cooling duct draws air through front vents, routes it across an alloy sensor backplate, through a decoupled Noctua NF-A4x10 5V PWM fan, across CPU heatsinks, and out exhaust channels.
• Material specification: Prusament PETG was selected over PLA due to its 68–75 °C thermal deformation resistance near heatsink exhausts, critical for maintaining aerodynamic duct geometry during sustained cryptographic workloads.
• Precision requirements: The ±0.02mm diameter tolerance of Prusament filament, measured with multi-axis optical laser sensors, ensures dimensional stability for dust seals, mounting tabs, and optical alignment of the Micro Four Thirds sensor and lens mount.
• Compute workload: The edge compute unit simultaneously processes 4K60 video and calculates cryptographic proof signatures, a combined thermal and computational load not typical of conventional cameras.

Why it matters

The CAIM1 demonstrates a viable commercial path for open-source RISC-V silicon in consumer-adjacent hardware, with Tropic Square's auditable secure element addressing growing demand for trustworthy media provenance as synthetic content proliferates. For Linux and open hardware communities, the project's regional supply chain model—combining Czech additive manufacturing and open silicon with Austrian thermal engineering—offers a template for geographically concentrated, collaborative hardware development that reduces dependence on closed Asian semiconductor and manufacturing ecosystems.