Our OctaV project is progressing. Now it was time to test the gimball with Gopro. The end result was surprisingly good.
We still have challenges with the basic flight. The amperage is quite high - 2x 20C 4ah 3S lipos are at their limit. We could add some more copper to few spots or good solution could be to go straight from 3S to 6S.
Also the Gimbal needs some fine tuning. On the next test I will put the Nex5 on board!
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Hi, it indeed is a free floating gravity gimbal, very much like a steadicam. Its stability is augmented using a modified MultiWii-based stabilizer, driving two high-speed digital servos which eliminate accumulating position errors. The mass of the gimbal is the main "stabilizing" factor. The servos are connected to the gimbal with springs, like in the Ecilop multicopter, but the behaviour of the stabilizer I made for them is quite different than in Ecilop..
Two of these photo-ships were built. I started building them in January. Three months later we maidened the copters and yesterday it was a time for a test-flight with powered gimbal and a GoPro camera. The copter itself features a two-part frame where the motors and payload are not connected to each other rigidly, which eliminates vibration to both to flight controller and the camera gimbal completely.
These aircraft are one meter wide; those 12" propellers that the machines currently have, are absolutely maximum. Handling and transportation of these is quite difficult to be honest even with 12" propellers, I have difficulties to fit one inside my Thunderbird =) Larger diameter propellers, running at slow RPM would be the optimal solution but these 12" blades are the best we currently can get here =)
Really good job Heikki,
The Steadicam 2 mass pendulum approach always seemed like a good match so long as high G maneuvers were avoided and in most video situations that is not something you would normally want to be doing anyway.
And it looks like you are achieving really great results and even jello (vibration) is very low.
I don't know if you have clearance room for bigger diameter props, but they can really improve efficiency (assuming your motors/ESCs can drive them).
Of course if your going to more cells (higher RPM) that can work against you too.
Pitch reduction at least would be necessary.
Wow , is that a free floating gravity gimbal, like a free floating 2d pendulum? Very smooth, like a steadycam ?