Electronic Gimbal Stabilizer

1. Actual status of my type of project

There are several types of video-photo stabilizers, for example:
 Hand-held Steadycam (it is a system that uses a series of weights to keep the device in
balance);
 Gimbal (uses 2-3 brushless motors or servomotors to keep the device in balance or to
orient it in a certain direction, this being the main advantage of this system);
 Glidecam (is a system that uses a series of weights to keep the device in balance);
 Stabilization integrated in the body of the video camera; here we can mention:
 SteadyShot from Sony, a system that stabilizes the sensor inside the device;
 Nikon Vibration Reduction, which is an integrated lens system;
 Image Stabilization from Canon, which is also an image stabilization system integrated
into the lens;
 5-Axis Image Stabilization from Olympus, which is a Sony-like system; stabilizes the
sensor inside the device.
Sony's SteadyShot stabilizer uses a cardan mechanism that is 13 times more efficient than
other optical systems. It is a system that stabilizes the sensor within the device (in the case of
mirorless devices), and in the case of a HandyCam this system can move the sensor and the lens
in the same time .

Fig. 1 Sony SteadyShot system

Nikon's Vibration Reduction is an image stabilization technology that minimizes blur in a

photo or video caused by unwanted camera shake. Using VR technology lenses, much clearer
images can be obtained even in low light conditions, in high wind conditions or when using a
large lens. This technology is more focused on photos.
 Fig.2 Nikon VR system

Canon's Image Stabilisation (IS) is controlled by a group of elements inside the lens
which moves at right-angles to the lens axis. The movement of this special lens group is
controlled by an on-board microcomputer and it works by counteracting the shaking of the
camera.

When IS is switched on and the shutter button is partially depressed, the stabiliser lens group,
which is locked in a central position when not active, is released. Then two gyro sensors start up
and detect the speed and angle of any camera movement. The detection data is passed to a
microcomputer which analyses it and prepares an instruction for the special stabiliser lens group.
This instruction is transmitted to the stabiliser lens group which moves at an appropriate speed
and angle to counteract the camera movement.

This complete sequence is repeated continuously so that there is an instant reaction to any
change in the amount or direction of the camera shake. It takes about one second from the
moment you partially depress the shutter button for the stabilisation to become really effective.
The stabilisation action continues for about a second after you take your finger off the shutter
release.
 Fig. 3 Canon IS system

The 5-axis VCM image stabilisation, which powerfully compensates any type of shaking,
has improved, achieving the world's highest compensation performance of 5 steps[1]. It also
provides powerful compensation for camera roll which cannot be corrected with an in-lens IS,
and horizontal/vertical shift which tends to occur during macro shooting. With this feature, you
can enjoy hand-held shooting in dark locations and during telephoto photography without
worrying about camera shake. It also prevents image shake in the viewfinder for stable framing.

Fig. 4 Olympus 5 axis Stabilization

2. Objectives of my project
Being a content creator and especially a videographer of festive events (weddings,
christening,birthday parties and other events), I need to get filming as smooth and stable as
possible. This is quite difficult when you have to film by hand in order to get the most dynamic
shots possible. A gimbal is ideal for these situations, as it is a stabilizer designed especially for
dslr and mirrorless devices.
A camera stabilizer is designed to hold a camera in a way that prevents or compensates
for unwanted camera shake, such as "shaking the camera."
The main source of inspiration for this work was the 5D2 Tarot image stabilization
system, a system that was designed to attach to large drones and stabilize DSLR cameras in Full
Frame format.
 Fig. 5 Tarrot Gimbal 5D2
The goal of this project is to build an active stabilizer suited for controlling a GoPro
action camera. The system should be able to compensate for unintended motions in the pitch and
roll axes to keep the camera level to a set reference plane. The finished product should be
handheld in the sense that it is relatively lightweight and easy to handle with one or two hands.

3. Achievement of objectives

There are two major types of camera stabilizers available today, the passive and the
active stabilizer. While the passive stabilizer relies on remaining balanced with counterweights,
the active stabilizer uses motors to keep the camera in the correct orientation. To be able to
counteract unwanted movements the system needs to know if the camera is rotated out of its
reference plane. This is most often done with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that senses
acceleration and angular velocity to determine the angle of the camera in the three dimensional
space.
An intuitive way of presenting the angle is to separate it into three different axes, namely
pitch, yaw, and roll. This definition is often used to describe rotation of aircraft but it translates
well to the cameras movements as well. The orientation of the axes are shown in Fig. 6. All three
axes are perpendicular to each other and therefore all possible rotations can be decomposed to its
yaw, pitch and roll components.

Fig. 6 A visual representation of the yaw, pitch and roll axes

For a camera stabilization system, the pitch and roll axes are most important because
unintentional movements around these axes make the recorded video seem shaky. Stabilization
in the yaw axis can also be desirable in cases where the movement should be smooth and
consistent, for example in panoramic shots. Most camera stabilizers consist of three motors
positioned along the yaw, pitch and roll axes, see Figure 7.

Fig. 7 An example of a handheld three axis active stabilizer

Accelerometer
A piezoelectric accelerometer is based on the concept of having a mass with “springs”
on a microscopic level where the mass exerts tension on the springs when moved around. The
accelerometer outputs a value that correlates to the applied acceleration in three perpendicular
directions.
Gyroscope
There are a few types of electronic gyroscope types but most of them are based on tiny
vibrating masses that get affected by the Coriolis effect when they are rotated. The gyroscope
outputs a value that correlates to the angular velocity of the module. By multiplying the raw data
value of the gyroscope with a constant, the value in degrees per second, that the module is
moving, can be obtained. However, this data is still not useful in this project.
IMU Sensor Placement
Choosing a suitable position for the sensor may sound like a simple task, but the
placement significantly impacts the method of controlling the system. There are two primary
options to place the sensor, either on the camera side or the support side.
Servo Motors
A wide range of servo motors is available on the market, each with certain purposes and
uses. Most hobby servo motors operate with a supply voltage between 4.8V and 6.5V; the higher
the voltage, the more torque we can reach, but they are usually powered at + 5V. Most hobby
servo motors can only rotate on the 0 ° - 180 ° range, but there are also servo motors that operate
from 0 ° to 360 °. The motor gears are easily subject to wear, so I used the MG996R servo
motor.

4. Results and potential aplications

The system proposed by me has as main role the realization of an active stabilizer. This
type of active image stabilization is beginning to find its way into modern technology and is
successfully used in filmmaking. The technology is used successfully when filming high-speed
cars is required, when shooting from drones or even in the medical field, this technology is used
in Parkinson's patients. Specifically, a spoon was made to counteract the uncontrolled
movements of the hand and to hold the food.
The idea is to use electrical sensors that provide data on angular velocity and acceleration
in three perpendicular directions. With the help of an electrical control unit (ECU), the data can
be used to interpret the position and movement of the sensor in a three-dimensional space. The
basic types of sensors used are known as "Gyroscopes" and "Accelerometers", respectively, but
the most common is a combination of the two.
By combining the ECU position sensor and a series of motors, the sensor values can be
used to compensate for position changes with the motors. Thus, the platform on which an object
is placed can, for example, be kept level with the ground or reduce vibrations from the user or his
surroundings.
Given this, one might imagine how useful it is for filmmakers looking to get a smooth
recording without unwanted movements or maybe stabilizing a food utensil for a Parkinson's
patient.

Fig. 8 A car equiped with a gimbal for high speed filming

 5. Bibliography
https://www.eos-magazine.com/articles/EOS_feature/canon-image-stabilisation.html
https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/products-and-innovation/vibration-
reduction.html
https://www.sony.ro/electronics/balanced-optical-steadyshot
https://asia.olympus-imaging.com/product/dslr/em5mk2/feature.html