Camera Cage Stabilization Using Coaxial Ring Bearing and Slip Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera stabilization systems are either heavy, stiff, and costly, or limited in flexibility and range of motion, making it difficult to achieve smooth camera movements, especially in handheld or airborne applications, due to issues with gyro sensor configurations and mechanical decoupling.
Innovation Solution
A camera cage system with a ring bearing and a motor whose shaft is coaxial with the ring bearing, allowing adjustable connection between the motor and ring bearing, enabling flexible camera stabilization with a motor control board and gyroscopic sensors for smooth rotation and stabilization around the central axis, and utilizing slip-ring connections for full 360-degree rotation without twisting wiring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a large counterweight is mounted at a significant distance from the camera to shift the center of mass, then the camera stabilization is improved, but the device becomes heavy, large, and awkward
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the counterweight function from the traditional Steadicam rig by using an electric motor to actively balance the camera system. Instead of relying on a large physical counterweight, the system uses a motor mounted on a flexible support that can generate counteracting torques to stabilize the camera, thereby eliminating the need for heavy counterweights while maintaining stabilization performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the passive mechanical counterweight system with an active electromechanical system. An electric motor with torque control replaces the static counterweight mechanism, allowing dynamic adjustment of balancing forces. This substitution enables the system to achieve the same stabilization effect without the mass and bulk of traditional counterweights
2Reliability
If a stiff gimbaled frame is used to reduce mechanical resonances, then the stabilization reliability is improved, but the device becomes heavy and unsuitable for handheld applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the stiffness parameter of the support structure from high (stiff) to low (flexible). By using a flexible support between the motor and the camera mounting platform, the system allows the lightweight structure to vibrate naturally while the active control system compensates for these vibrations through motor torque adjustment, thereby maintaining stabilization reliability without requiring a stiff, heavy frame
3Device complexity
If three-axis gyro sensors are collocated in a single package, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to sensitivity variations and orthogonal rotation components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the three-axis gyro measurement function into three separate single-axis sensors mounted on the flexible support at different orientations. Each sensor measures rotation about a specific axis, and the individual measurements are combined through coordinate transformations to derive the complete three-axis rotation state. This segmentation eliminates the sensitivity variations and cross-axis interference problems inherent in collocated three-axis sensor packages
4Manufacturing precision
If the motor and ring bearing are fixed at a set distance, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the adaptability to different camera setups deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces adjustability into the motor-to-ring bearing distance, transforming it from a fixed parameter to a variable one. The support structure allowing relative movement between the motor and ring bearing enables the system to be configured for different camera weights, sizes, and mounting requirements, thereby achieving adaptability to various camera setups while maintaining precise control over the motor position for each specific configuration
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a lightweight, flexible, and adjustable camera stabilization solution that can maintain stability over a wide range of angular positions and frequencies, allowing for smooth camera motion with a simple control signal, addressing the limitations of existing systems by enabling easy adjustment to different camera setups and ensuring reliable operation.
Implementation Method 1
a ring bearing and a motor whose motor axis is coaxial with a central axis of the ring bearing
Implementation Method 2
gyroscopic sensors for smooth rotation and stabilization around the central axis
Implementation Method 3
a motor whose motor axis is coaxial with a central axis of the ring bearing
Data Source
AI summary
Camera stabilization systems are provided, and more particularly, an improved lightweight hand-held or vehicle-mounted camera stabilization system is provided, for use in photographic or video-related applications. A stabilization of the alignment is critical in particular on moving camera supports, such as vehicles, airborne objects, and camera cranes, in order to achieve the best possible results in film or video recordings.