Project MotorPixie - Open Source 2-axis gimbal for P2V

[DKDarkness]

I have been working on a gimbal for my own personal use, for the past several weeks. It is not quite there yet, but to avoid any disputes about the overall design, I would like to share with you the general design, before Rotorpixel releases any pictures of their gimbal. In that way, no one in their right mind could claim I stole their or anybody elses design. I'd like the design to be open and free Please do not flame me for the design being half baked, and Apple having released a nicer looking design or product. I've made it in my sparse free time, so bear with me. It will be improved opon in time, this is solely to announce that I have a design in the works, and what it is going to look like.

See MotorPixie Gimbal V8.pdf for details.

I'd like to invite everybody to join in, but I don't play well with others ;-)

 

[AllanVB]

I have been working on a gimbal for my own personal use, for the past several weeks. It is not quite there yet, but to avoid any disputes about the overall design, I would like to share with you the general design, before Rotorpixel releases any pictures of their gimbal. In that way, no one in their right mind could claim I stole their or anybody elses design. I'd like the design to be open and free Please do not flame me for the design being half baked, and Apple having released a nicer looking design or product. I've made it in my sparse free time, so bear with me. It will be improved opon in time, this is solely to announce that I have a design in the works, and what it is going to look like.

See MotorPixie Gimbal V8.pdf for details.

I'd like to invite everybody to join in, but I don't play well with others ;-)

well done.

 

[mr_3_0_5]

Looks very nice

 

[Don_TLR]

If you need any PCB layout work let me know, I work on lots of flying things in space so this would be right up my alley

 

[tizzl10]

If you need any PCB layout work let me know, I work on lots of flying things in space so this would be right up my alley

ahhh.. a fellow spacecraft guy..me too.

 

[DKDarkness]

I will be updating my designs (which are open source . meaning I share them all with you) at https://sites.google.com/site/motorpixiegimbals/ (see Resources) when I have the free time. Please feel free to improve on them in any way you see fit. I suppose a simple extrude on the plate and gimble arms would make them ready for 3D printing.

 

[tizzl10]

good stuff man..i applaud your efforts!

 

[AllanVB]

I will be updating my designs (which are open source . meaning I share them all with you) at https://sites.google.com/site/motorpixiegimbals/ (see Resources) when I have the free time. Please feel free to improve on them in any way you see fit. I suppose a simple extrude on the plate and gimble arms would make them ready for 3D printing.

well, after two failed weeks to ship the Rotorpixel, I just canceled the order.... I was in the first 50. So, lets get this one working. Actually, I am on a mission to have 3 axis for the PV2. On with the dance!

 

[teji]

Hello !
Like explained in other pages, i work on new open design too.
Here is the camera holder, in beta version.
It's maybye easier to reproduce Than your (fantastic cause very simple) metal version !
I don't have motors (yet) to test and choice exact motor place (then hole)....
but it fit correctly the fc200.
it's just a "form & profile validation" part ! ;-)
Did you prefer i make the 3D printed version of your holder (via lower fixation) ?
Thanks...

 

[DKDarkness]

Hello !
Like explained in other pages, i work on new open design too.
Here is the camera holder, in beta version.
It's maybye easier to reproduce Than your (fantastic cause very simple) metal version !
I don't have motors (yet) to test and choice exact motor place (then hole)....
but it fit correctly the fc200.
it's just a "form & profile validation" part ! ;-)
Did you prefer i make the 3D printed version of your holder (via lower fixation) ?
Thanks...

I'm saving the 3D printed version for mark II in my design No need to print a 3D version of my FC200 holder, yours is more versatile. If you instead of holes, make groves in your holder, and make a counterpart with the holes and a lock screw, the camera could be balanced perfectly, with or without lens filters etc.? Also your design allows for the mounting of the IMU on top, depending on how precise your printer is. What material and printer are you using?

 

[gpauk]

Just to lob some ideas into the pot -- Someone posted in one of the forums, they'd made a holder for the fc200 that fit to a tarot 2d gimbal, adapted the servo cable from the PV to plug into the alexmos (I think) controller. That gives you a gopro / fc200 gimbal for about $150 plus the cost of the holder. So, why not use some of the off the shelf gimbal parts and modify if needed? Could be the fastest way to a result.

 

[BenDronePilot]

Just to lob some ideas into the pot -- Someone posted in one of the forums, they'd made a holder for the fc200 that fit to a tarot 2d gimbal, adapted the servo cable from the PV to plug into the alexmos (I think) controller. That gives you a gopro / fc200 gimbal for about $150 plus the cost of the holder. So, why not use some of the off the shelf gimbal parts and modify if needed? Could be the fastest way to a result.

It has also been done with the beholder lite gimbal.

 

[teji]

I'm saving the 3D printed version for mark II in my design No need to print a 3D version of my FC200 holder, yours is more versatile. If you instead of holes, make groves in your holder, and make a counterpart with the holes and a lock screw, the camera could be balanced perfectly, with or without lens filters etc.? Also your design allows for the mounting of the IMU on top, depending on how precise your printer is. What material and printer are you using?

I use a "Up! plus 2" printer, it's a good one, as you can see if you zoom in pictures...
Good idea for IMU. Can you give me information about IMU size & holes (quote & picture) ?
And size/hole about motors (quote / picture) ? Then i can finish my design.
Did you know difference between 2208 / 2210 / 2215 motors ???
I also contacted "Turbi", a guy making the very beautyfull "open brushless gimbal" () to start from his design to make some parts...

 

[alexmla]

@ teji: http://www.basecamelectronics.com/simplebgc/ has all the sepcs for the IMU.

 

[GneeChee]

Project MotorPixie ... LOL Loving the name!

Kind of like RotorPixel on Fairy Dust?

Now I'm envisioning your gimbal working by having little Phantom Pharies flying around keeping the camera level

No offense ... just having fun

 

[DKDarkness]

Project MotorPixie ... LOL Loving the name!

Kind of like RotorPixel on Fairy Dust?

Now I'm envisioning your gimbal working by having little Phantom Pharies flying around keeping the camera level

No offense ... just having fun

Well a pixie is a mythical creature, nobody knows if they really exist?

My first flight test with gimbal was cut short by stupidity today. Fried the central controller board earlier, replaced it, took the gimbal for a 2 sec. test flight. Oh by the way, the controller board apparently needs to be configured, before you take it on a spin. Lesson learned. New rotors and rotor guards ordered, grounded for now...

 

[alexmla]

Oh by the way, the controller board apparently needs to be configured, before you take it on a spin.

And calibrated. Out of the box the basic basecam firmware will not work with your setup. Any time you make changes to the setup, you probably first have to adjust that in the settings as well. So even if you are able to move the mount back and forth to accommodate different cameras or the lens mount for example, the actual force required to move the camera will change (as its weight goes up). You can store several settings inside basecam (i believe up to three?) and you can program the unit so that the switch on the board will cycle between these profiles. So once you have let's say a profile for FC200, FC200 with lensmount, and one for Gopro (or whatever else you strap on there), you can just switch between them, without having to get into the basecam software again.

 

[DKDarkness]

I'm with you on the BaseCam controller I was however talking about the DJI Phantom 2 Vision main controller board, which I fried by shorting the FC200 camera jack earlier...

 

[alexmla]

I'm with you on the BaseCam controller I was however talking about the DJI Phantom 2 Vision main controller board, which I fried by shorting the FC200 camera jack earlier...

Oh, yes

 

[DKDarkness]

Oh by the way, the controller board apparently needs to be configured, before you take it on a spin.

And calibrated. Out of the box the basic basecam firmware will not work with your setup. Any time you make changes to the setup, you probably first have to adjust that in the settings as well. So even if you are able to move the mount back and forth to accommodate different cameras or the lens mount for example, the actual force required to move the camera will change (as its weight goes up). You can store several settings inside basecam (i believe up to three?) and you can program the unit so that the switch on the board will cycle between these profiles. So once you have let's say a profile for FC200, FC200 with lensmount, and one for Gopro (or whatever else you strap on there), you can just switch between them, without having to get into the basecam software again.

I just uploaded at cheat sheet "MotorPixie BaseCam IMU calibration cheat sheet", find it here: https://sites.google.com/site/motorpixi ... /Resources and please tell me what you think (I might do a video myself in the future, but I am a bit camera shy