DSS #61 Remote Gimbal

Troy Raymond

How about a real invention? Yes, there are camera gimbals, but do they fit SLR cameras and remotely control pan/tilt, landscape/portrait, zoom and shutter? With an extra servo it can remotely control manual focus too. :lol3 (example, wildlife in woods). Plus, remotely push the live view button on some cameras to keep the live view feed going wirelessly to the ground. Flashes can also be mounted.



This is the ol' version 2, V3 is much more advanced and has a spherical enclosure for nasty weather, like two years ago when I shot from a mast in heavy snow fall.

This challenge gave me the extra poke in the ribs needed to finally get a good photo of it. :thumb I'm usually busy enough I forget to check in here weeks at a time... but thought I'd post it up for those that would like to comment. I only had enough time for one self portrait.

Troy

MarkR

I like it. Even without the backstory, there's a feeling of "invention" going on.

JR303

This is really, really well done. The invention itself is extremely cool, but the pic is well lit, and the depth of field (can't tell if it's post or in camera) really brings attention to the subject.

Very nice.

John

Troy Raymond

Thank You for the kind comments. I cloned the edge of a little box that showed in the lower left corner (just a tiny bit), Otherwise sharpening and a curves adjustment in Digital Photo Professional. Canon XT, 50mm (nifty fifty), a large soft box in front and a flash shooting through older yellow newsprint (paper) with an opening to brighten the background, flash in manual.

Troy

travelways

Fantastic - congratulations!!!

LadyKate

Extremely well accomplished, in all aspects!
I'm thinkin' your ship HAS come in! (I'm assuming it is your invention?)

Art Scott

Looks really cool and extremely useful...........


Soooooooooooooo. What would this sell for??
Kinda an inevitable question don'tcha think??

Troy Raymond

Yes, I've been prototyping for the last 2 years... Mast mounts, RC Helicopter mounts, an RC airplane, and a very stable kite system. Maybe some day I can afford to offer them in kit form. It's taken thousands of $$$ and hours. Maybe someday...

A tester put together this little video a while back for one of the first heli mounts.

A sample pano from my co-builder testing in Alaska a few weeks back. The plane is a team effort.


V3 of the mast mount (which I also intend to use with wildlife), No idea on the cost or ETA of final product.

There is a very small selection of manufacturers that do this, a small niche group.

Troy

Troy Raymond

I should mention the mast mount was redesigned because the first prototypes would not fit full size Nikon cameras. Oops, start over... also had to find a more simple method of assemble and producing the pieces. There was room to add weight after the first few samples made entirely of carbon fiber.

ic4u

Troy Raymond wrote: »

Yes, I've been prototyping for the last 2 years... Mast mounts, RC Helicopter mounts, an RC airplane, and a very stable kite system. Maybe some day I can afford to offer them in kit form. It's taken thousands of $$$ and hours. Maybe someday...

A tester put together this little video a while back for one of the first heli mounts.


That is very cool! Congrats and good luck with it!

Kinkajou

If you end up making these on the micro scale, do let me know

We make a UAV called the Maveric (see my 'late entries' post...) and have a gimbaled camera payload. The thing is really small (2' wingspan), but we're always keeping an eye out for new camera payloads. We're the smallest UAV to have a gimbaled camera payload, actually.

Troy Raymond

I've already checked out your aircraft, I did see it in the photo... and your gallery. We have designed a plane for specific use in 3 different sizes. 48", 72" and 96" wingspans. All electric and the largest can carry a stabilized gimbal with an SLR such as a T2I and 10-22 lens while flying close to walking speed (slowest) or up to around 70mph. A FLIR system will be substituted in place of the SLR on one aircraft. Low altitude aerial photography in extreme conditions is the purpose. The gimbals will be purpose built for our aircrafts... sorry

We've even created a computer simulator model for those that wish to fly. 6' model only.
RealFlight 4.5, 5.0 and 5.5 simulator required.

http://www.knifeedge.com/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=12135



Gimbal is not shown in the sim model, but flying characteristics are the same.

Troy

Kinkajou

Hey, that's awesome! Thanks for sharing! There is a small SWIR now available, so we're working on integrating that at the moment.

Have you heard anything about HDR on a plane this size? It's something that has been brought up once or twice, but we haven't really researched it.

Troy Raymond

There is a little pseudo HDR on all of my photos, blended with the original to enhance color and detail. I'm an artist by trade and this was the only way to 'paint' what I see. I use Dynamic Photo HDR, process several different versions and layer blend in photoshop.

Three exact images the same from a heli is near impossible while hovering, lens distortion would make it extremely hard if they were not perfect. The best way is to use a mast for HDR especially in low light. Another option is to use PTGui Pro with HDR panoramic blending capabilities, in the 'Exposure/HDR' menu select 'Enable HDR Stitching', then 'Exposure Fusion', this will keep it very real, correct lens distortion and blend multiple exposures even if not exactly the same. The photo above was stitched from about 8 different photos while flying forward and turning. As long as you've got enough altitude and are not close to any objects the process is easy.

Troy

Troy Raymond

Here is a sample of what the HDR method above can do to a single image of a moving subject. Dark, raining, just a horrible day, but the only day the locomotive was coming through. In a situation like this I usually have 3-4 cameras shooting remotely from different perspectives.



And a sample straight from stitching with no other editing.



My apologies for the small photo... at least is doesn't have a watermark. Shown only to demonstrate the multiple 'not so perfect' photo stitching/warping. I could not find any stitching errors.

Rarely are there perfect natural conditions, especially while remotely shooting. You have to envision the finished photo and shoot what you need to achieve it even if only achieved in post processing. RC aircraft just make it more of a challenge, anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Troy