Robotic Bluetooth Camera Mount and Remote
Contents
Goals
- Motorized Pan/Tilt Camera Mount
- Automate the creation of panoramas using the motorized mount
- Bluetooth control from a Smartphone
- A Multipurpose electronic controller allowing for time lapses, long exposures, repeated panorama shooting, and other possibilities
- Allow for control and automation of other Pan/Tilt servo controlled heads
- Possibly sell the product as a kit
Members
- Mikel Duke (project leader)
Progress
Mount
Revision 1
- Laser Cut 1/4" MDF
- 3" Lazy Susan Bearings
- Nut and Bolt Assembly
- Clearance issues during assembly
- Vertical and Horizontal rails for Parallax Correction
- Metric Ruler Slide rails to mark spacing
Revision 2
- Added hinges to enable the mount to fold to a smaller size for transport
- Adjusted placement of parts for better fit
- Widened Adjustment rails for stability
- Removed need for spacer boards allowing for less parts to be cut
- Added holes for battery mount
Revision 3
- Added access holes to Lazy Susan bearings for easier assembly
- Adjusted size of the mounting plates to help hold the servo gears in place
- Added radial guides on moving parts
- Changed servo placement for better cable routing, no more coming unplugged when rotating
Revision 4
- New Full build of the mount
- Redesigned to use larger servos from Servo City
- Gear ratio adjusted to account for the limited 3.5x rotation rather than continuous
- Larger overall
- Looser fit on to the servos
- Laser Cutter was out of focus and dirty, so the lines were not as clean as they should be and gears may need to be recut
Electronics
Update 1
After testing the GY-85 IMU for orientation, it does not seem to be reliable or precise enough for this project. After researching a switch to stepper motors, the power requirements seem a little to high for the portability that is needed.
After more research and consideration, a pair of more powerful servos with a 1080 degree range has been purchased. Due to the extra power and range, continuous rotation should not be necessary. The camera mount gears will need to be re-sized to get the correct amount of rotation range given the limits of the new servos. Price-wise, it seems to be on par with changing to steppers if only slightly more, given the cost of 2 steppers, drivers, and bigger batteries.
Next Steps
- Improve the orientation system
- Create PCB design for controller board
- Create housings for the electronics
- Define kit contents, instructions, SKU
- Develop support website
- Improve Bluetooth App
Resources
Parts
Builds 1-3
The mount is currently built out of laser cut 1/4" MDF. Acrylic is a possibility for future builds once the design is finalized, it will not be used for prototyping due to the higher price.
The electronics consist of 2 servos controlled by an Arduino Nano with a Serial Bluetooth interface. Orientation is currently done using a GY-85 IMU commonly used on quad copters.
Camera triggering is done with two 2n2222 transistors connected to a 2.5mm stereo audio cable to a Digital SLR's remote port.
Build 4
The original continuous rotation servos have been replaced with a pair of HS-785HB 3.5x rotation 183oz-in servos.
Photos
Revision2
Revision 2 back
Canon Digital Rebel XT Mounted
