Pan/Tilt Mount For a Small Camera

[Phoxtane]

Edit 7/15/2015: I've updated the file download link because that Dropbox link is long dead. It's now hosted on Bricksafe.com.

I bought myself a GoPro camera recently in order to gain full HD capabilities for my YouTube channel. At some point I want to mount it on a vehicle, so I spent some time today building a pan/tilt mount for it.

In theory, this setup should be able to rotate 360 degrees and tilt about 30 degrees off horizontal both up and down. While it's nice to finally finish a project that I started, it has some flaws which are beyond me to solve at the moment:

- The tilting action has a lot of backlash.

- The rotation action will make the platform tilt, as the drive shaft for the tilting action passes through the center of the turntable. This will cause it to lock up and skip gears after about a half-rotation.

The LDD file [from Dropbox Bricksafe]: http://bricksafe.com/pages/Phoxtane/digital-model-files

Due to LDD being... special, the model itself is at a weird angle, and the worm gears aren't in place. On the right-hand model they've been colored to show which axle they should go on. The left-hand model is a cutaway to show only the drivetrain. Comments, criticism, and whatnot is all appreciated!

Edited July 15, 2015 by Phoxtane

[leoparder]

So is it for a timelapse use or for panning while just shooting a normal video ?

It would be cool to use Lego as a timelapse rail system :)

[DLuders]

@ Phoxtane: Have you seen some of the PanoBots on Philo's "Lego Accessories for Photography" webpage? Perhaps you could create similar versions using modern Lego Technic Liftarms instead of Technic Bricks. Also, check out his Panoramic Photography and Photo Gallery to see some nice art.

[Phoxtane]

@ leoparder, DLuders: This would be more for something like mounting a wireless camera to a rover of some sort. I do have a panning mount for timelapses that I haven't posted here yet, though!

[timslegos]

It would be cool to use Lego as a timelapse rail system :)

I have used this method before to control a DIY slider that I made along with the time-lapse feature on my gopro. I used a xl motor and pulley that pulled the carriage across the track. If I had a prettier landscape it might have come out better .

tim

[piterx]

cool i have a gopro too!

but id like to see it in action :P

can you make a video?

[timslegos]

can you make a video?

I already have!

tim

Edited June 3, 2013 by timslegos

[Phoxtane]

cool i have a gopro too!

but id like to see it in action :P

can you make a video?

Done and done:

[leoparder]

Could you post your video timslegos ? I am very interested in this.

[Doc_Brown]

Great video! I'm really interested in this cos I'm making a tank turret and would be very similar, but I don't want it to tilt as it turns, have you thought of a way to stop this? haha

Edited June 3, 2013 by Doc_Brown

[leoparder]

You should take a look at the 9397 Logging truck. The system of the crane transmits 2 functions through the turntable. It uses a gearbox part to do so. Check it out, it might give you some ideas.

[Phoxtane]

Great video! I'm really interested in this cos I'm making a tank turret and would be very similar, but I don't want it to tilt as it turns, have you thought of a way to stop this? haha

Sure; mount the tilting motor in the upper part of the assembly, running the cable through the center of the turntable. I don't like this nearly as much, as it increases the amount of space needed up top, but it would solve both the floppiness of the tilting action and the tilting-whilst-turning problem.

[Doc_Brown]

You should take a look at the 9397 Logging truck. The system of the crane transmits 2 functions through the turntable. It uses a gearbox part to do so. Check it out, it might give you some ideas.

OMG thanks! (face palm) I own the logging truck! I should have thought of that! hahahahha

@Phoxtane Thanks! I will check out everything.

[piterx]

hmmmm the concept is cool but that tilting issue makes it quite useless :P you should adjust that part hehe

and then it would be nice to see how smooth the shooting is when mounted onto that thing :)

anyway all of this was really inspiring! now i want to build a dolly rig for the gopro! :P

[kibosh]

Great ideas here. I have a LEGO compatible case on my iPhone, and would love to create something like this to use with some stop motions I'd like to do. It would be very useful to create something that would pan, tilt, and pedestal up and down.

[DLuders]

For those with a GoPro, see this previous Eurobricks topic about possible Lego mounting options.

[Phoxtane]

For those with a GoPro, see this previous Eurobricks topic about possible Lego mounting options.

I actually borrowed and adapted the mount Sariel built for his GoPro for use in this project.

Edited June 3, 2013 by Phoxtane

[Henry Crun]

Loads of different designs out there, just Google 'lego pano head'.

Your design is very neat but you really need to separate the pan and tilt functions.

Alternatively, work out how to co-ordinate the rotation of the tilt mechanism with the turntable - relatively easy with NXT but tricky with PF I suspect.