Method and system for enabling pointing control of an actively stabilized camera

Abstract

A active stabilization system and a method for correcting a pointing direction of a camera to compensate for translational movements of the camera are described. The system actively stabilizes a pointing direction of the camera in accordance with a commanded pointing angle. A distance from the camera to a filming target is determined and one or more translational measurements associated with a translational movement of the camera are derived. A correction update is calculated as a function of at least the distance and the one or more translational measurements. The commanded pointing angle of the camera is adjusted based on the correction update to retain the filming target within a field of view of the camera.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates to stabilization systems, and more particularly to an improved, lightweight, hand-held or vehicle-mounted camera stabilization system for photographic or video related applications. Background technique [0002] In many applications, it is desirable to stabilize the payload from vibration and unwanted motion. This is especially important in filmmaking, where any unintentional shake or movement introduced by, for example, the camera operator can result in uncomfortable viewing or misframed footage. [0003] Passive stabilizing mounts have been used to reduce shaking and smooth out motion by using mechanical systems such as springs, shock absorbers, and counterweights. However, these systems can be large and unwieldy to operate, and often require extensive experience to control effectively. Software-based digital stabilization exists, as well as optical stabilization, but they are generally limited to correcting small mov...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, optical gyro sensors tend to be bulky and expensive

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