diff --git a/tests/api_client.py b/tests/api_client.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1a9fdc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/api_client.py
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+import requests
+from PIL import Image
+from io import BytesIO
+import numpy as np
+
+class APIconnection:
+    def __init__(self, host="localhost", port=5000, api_ver="v1"):
+        self.base = self.build_base(host=host, port=port, api_ver=api_ver)
+
+    def build_base(self, host, port, api_ver):
+        return "http://{}:{}/api/{}".format(host, port, api_ver)
+
+    def uri(self, suffix):
+        return self.base + suffix
+
+    def get(self, route, json=True, timeout=5):
+        r = requests.get(self.uri(route), timeout=timeout)
+        if json:
+            return r.json()
+        else:
+            return r
+
+    def post(self, route, json=None, timeout=5):
+        r = requests.post(self.uri(route), json=json, timeout=timeout)
+        return r.json()
+
+    def delete(self, route, timeout=5):
+        r = requests.delete(self.uri(route), timeout=timeout)
+        return r.json()
+
+    def set_overlay(self, message="", size=50):
+        json = {
+            "text": message,
+            "size": size
+        }
+        return self.post('/camera/overlay', json=json)
+
+    def get_overlay(self):
+        return self.get('/camera/overlay')
+
+    def get_config(self):
+        return self.get('/config')
+
+    def set_config(self, config_dict):
+        return self.post('/config', json=config_dict)
+
+    def get_state(self):
+        return self.get('/state')
+
+    def start_preview(self):
+        return self.post('/camera/preview/start')
+
+    def stop_preview(self):
+        return self.post('/camera/preview/stop')
+
+    def move_by(self, x=0, y=0, z=0):
+        json = {
+            "x": x,
+            "y": y,
+            "z": z
+        }
+        return self.post('/stage/position', json=json)
+
+    def new_capture(self, use_video_port=True, keep_on_disk=False):
+        json = {
+            "keep_on_disk": keep_on_disk,
+            "use_video_port": use_video_port
+        }
+        return self.post('/camera/capture', json=json)
+
+    def get_capture(self, capture_id):
+        uri_route = '/camera/capture/{}/download'.format(capture_id)
+        r = self.get(uri_route, json=False)
+        img = Image.open(BytesIO(r.content))
+        array = np.asarray(img, dtype=np.int32)
+        return array
+
+    def del_capture(self, capture_id):
+        uri_route = '/camera/capture/{}'.format(capture_id)
+        return self.delete(uri_route)
+
+    def capture(self, use_video_port=True, keep_on_disk=False, delete_after_use=True):
+        p = self.new_capture(use_video_port=use_video_port, keep_on_disk=keep_on_disk)
+        capture_id = p['id']
+        img_array = self.get_capture(capture_id)
+
+        if delete_after_use:
+            self.del_capture(capture_id)
+
+        return img_array
+
+    def set_zoom(self, zoom_value=1.0):
+        json = {
+            "zoom_value": zoom_value,
+        }
+        return self.post('/camera/zoom', json=json)
+
+    def get_zoom(self):
+        return self.get('/camera/zoom')
\ No newline at end of file