I just kicked in $10.

I wonder if some of the $100 pledgers didn't do the IndieGoGo thing because they don't know about it, weren't following this blog.

It is impressive how many users are interested on the IMU+ function alone as a camera pointing and stabilization device. This calls for the creation of a separate forum thread as Jaan Kronberg suggested so users can discuss and improve this project and it’s various derivatives. I was looking for a similar functionality and I’m glad I ended up here. I have a specific requirement that looks very similar to what has been discussed here and I suspect that it has already been implemented. But in any case I’ll describe it, just in case someone wants to get involved:  

This project requires to point a camera Pant/tilt to a desired waypoint. The camera pan/tilt unit is carried by a small ROVER vehicle. Here are the requirements:

 1.  The latest version of Ardupilot mega (APM2?) with the ArduIMU+V3 shall be used as the “Camera Pointing Module” (CPM).

 2.  The CPM must be able to accept a waypoint through one of its serial ports. I guess this have to be one of the APM serial ports. This is the waypoint that we want the pan/tilt to slew and point at.  

3.  All the algorithms and calculations to slew the pan/tilt module shall run onboard the CPM i.e. APM microprocessor. No external application shall be used i.e APM Planner. In a few words, when a waypoint is feeded into the CPM serial port, the pan/tilt unit slews there and remains stabilized regardless of the motion of the frame that carries both the pan/tilt and the CPM.

 4.  The step motors that I’m using accept pure angle values to turn. This is a format like 230pan/-20tilt. Therefore the CPM must output through a separate serial port this type of commands in addition to the PWMs that are currently issued for standard servo motors.  

 5.  The CPM must output the values of the frame current position,  heading and tilt angle as well as the heading and tilt angle that the camera points at.

 6.  The system will be tested by connecting the CPM to Hyperterminal. A waypoint will be send to the CPM through HP and the pan/tilt shall slew to that waypoint. HP will start displaying the values of the above bullet as the frame will start to move.

 I offer $500 for the above implementation. The deliverable shall be a single sketch file.  

If someone is interested please contact me at evan.coasts at gmail dot com or simply post in this forum. This is not a proprietary project. Others can take advantage of it as well by modifying it to suit other needs.

Evan 

in the words of Pink Floyd, "is there anybody out there".  (actually the name of a track), though similar lyrics also occur as lyrics on yet a different track with almost the same component words, "is there anybody in there" (Comfortably Numb, Pink Floyd).

just seemed kinda quiet in here.  For the past few days I've been recovering from a minor surgery and so, have not been able to try out any of this prize-contentent software.  Have I missed anything worthwhile?  Has the pot already been claimed?  Someone bring me back up to speed please.

I am workin on it.

here

I just put my $100 pledge in on indiegogo. Let's see the others do the same soon! Good luck everyone!!

Any updates yet??

Someone may have already pointed it out but there's a similar Open Source Gimbal IMU demonstrated here: http://www.x-io.co.uk/node/10#camera_control_via_pc

Michael,

I am trying to upload your code and earn you $110 as the first part of the prize that I have posted, but I am getting an error in following your procedure noted in this thread from March 10th: when I try and upload your code, Mission planner is throwing an error, the command line states a warning something along the lines of "warning- not a 1280"  and then it issues a connection error. I am using 1.1.73 on windows 7 with a ArduIMU V3 and mediatek GPS connected.

cliff, sounds like a bootloader issue, it should never get to that point. you may need to use a avr programer to restore the bootloader