Compact Three-Axis Gimbal for Wide Roll Image Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gimbal configurations are often bulky, heavy, and limit the rotation of payloads, particularly restricting the capture of vertical-oriented images and are not optimally suited for mobile applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Innovation Solution
A compact gimbal system with three components that allow for rotation about roll, pitch, and yaw axes, enabling the payload to rotate more than 90 degrees about the roll axis, and is designed to be lightweight and compact, suitable for mobile use, including UAVs, with a controller and sensors to adjust the orientation of the payload for capturing horizontal, vertical, or arbitrary orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional gimbal configurations are used, then stability and payload support are achieved, but volume and weight increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The gimbal system is divided into three independent carrier components, each responsible for a specific rotation axis (pitch, yaw, roll). This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for minimal weight while maintaining stability functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The three carrier components are nested within each other in a compact configuration, with each subsequent component supported by the previous one. This nesting arrangement minimizes the overall volume and weight of the gimbal system while preserving all stabilization capabilities.
2Reliability
If traditional gimbal configurations are used, then payload support is provided, but rotation freedom is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Each carrier component is designed with dynamic rotation capabilities about its specific axis, allowing the payload to achieve orientations that would be impossible with fixed-axis traditional gimbals. The roll axis component enables 90-degree or greater rotation, providing vertical image capture capability.
3Weight of stationary object
If compact gimbal design is implemented, then volume and weight are reduced, but rotation range may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The nested three-component design adds dimensional efficiency by arranging rotation axes in a compact spatial configuration. This allows the compact gimbal to achieve the same or greater rotation range as bulkier traditional designs by utilizing three-dimensional space more effectively.
Data Source
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AI summary
Devices and methods for stabilizing a payload are provided. A carrier (1002) may be provided. The carrier may manipulate a payload (1004) such that the payload is able to rotate about a roll axis by 90 degrees or more. In some instances, the carrier may be directly connected to a component configured to permit rotation of the payload about a roll axis. The carrier described herein can have a compact configuration that allows for minimal volume and weight and may be ideally suited for mobile use. Particularly, the carrier may be mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In some instances, an imaging device may be coupled to the carrier and images having horizontal orientation, vertical orientations, or orientations in-between may be caputed and processed.