Introduction: Robotic Camera Dolly Arrangement

Recently I received the opportunity to try Servo City's Actobotics habitus system. Piece I could have used IT to build a great many things, I ultimately distinct to have a programmable television camera dolly system. This device allows me to make up time sink films with decomposable movements as well as program quotable automated real-clock tv camera movements. In other words, this rig allows you to swimmingly film intricate camera movements in time recidivate and real-time.

Step 1: Features

The Robotic Television camera Dolly Arrangement has these discover features:

  • The ability for real-time motion-picture photography and stop gesticulate photography.
  • Information technology is ontrollable via an easy-to-use touchscreen.
  • The system can pan, tilt and drive at the same time.
  • All actions are repeatable thanks to servo motors and a DC drive drive with a rotary encoder.
  • Thanks to the dynamic Actobotics build system and open origin Arduino-based ironware, information technology is fully customizeable to meet your own inevitably.

Step 2: Materials

(Whatsoever of the links on this page contain Amazon affiliate links. This does not variety the price of any of the items for sale. However, I realize a small commission if you click on any of those links and purchase anything. I reinvest this money into materials and tools for future projects. If you would like an cyclical proposition for a supplier of any of the parts, please let me do it.)

Step 3: Assemble the Idler Wheels

Insert the non friction ball bearings into one of the low friction skate wheels.

Pass the 8mm flanged standoff through with the bearing.

Take a 90 degree quad hub mount D and put in center mess adapters on each side.

Pass a bolt through the two center hole adapters and tighten it firmly in place.

Replicate this process 6 more times.

Step 4: Idler Wheel Assemblies

Take two of the idler wheel assemblies and supplement them to one of the dolly bicycle idler plates.

Also attach a 90 grade quad hub go up B to the same doll wheel idler plate.

One time all of these are attached, connect the other dolly wheel do-nothing plate to the other side.

Build 3 of these assemblies in total.

Step 5: Attach a Connection Bracket out

Attach to a 90 degree quadriceps hub put on C centered upon the external of one of the doll take wheel plates on complete 3 of the assemblies.

Step 6: Rotary Encoder

The rotary encoder inevitably to be attached the DC drive motorial.

Start up by damaged the adhesive cover from the plastic encoder frame and center this on the backside of the motor.

Side by side, press the encoder disk onto the thin shaft protrusive the back of the motor.

Finally, snap the plastic breed with the encoder attached to the constructive base.

Step 7: Wire the Motor

Attach a red telegraph to the DC motor's positive terminal and a black wire to the negative terminal.

Step 8: Attach Climb up

Affix the centrifugal mount D firmly to the motor.

Step 9: Coupler

Attach the 6mm to 1/4" Set Screw Coupler to the motor shaft.

Step 10: Assemble the Effort Wheel

Install the drive wheel transcriber kit up B into cardinal of the Sir David Low friction skate wheels on with the 2.5" stainless steel D-shaft.

Unofficially of the wheel opposite the mounting screw for the adapter kit, slide on a center fix adapter, followed by a quad hub mount D bracket.

Step 11: Connect

Connect the 2.5" D shaft to the motor shaft using the coupling set jockey.

Step 12: Attach a Connector

Step 13: Build a Drive Assembly

Attach the motorial and force wheel to the drive bike plate on with an idler wheel and a quad hub mount B.

Install the other drive wheel home plate on the other side once completed.

Pace 14: Cycle Channels

Attach deuce idler wheel assemblies to the outside of a 12" aluminum channelise.

Attach an idler roll assembly and the causative drive assembly to the outside of another 12" aluminum distribution channel.

Step 15: Functional Channels

Take three 12" aluminum channels and install a 90 degree quadriceps femoris mount C connector on each end.

Step 16: Assemble the Base

Colligate the two aluminum wheel channels together with the three structural channels.

Make certain that there is 3" 'tween each structural conduct.

Step 17: 3.75" Channel

Attach a 90 degree quad hub mount B to the close of a 3.75" Al transmission channel.

Step 18: Bond

Center the 3.75" aluminum channel perpendicular to the base and secure it in place with mounting bolts.

Put differently, focus on it happening end upon the center support chanel.

Ill-use 19: Acrylic Base Supports

Connect attachment blocks to the inwardly of to each one funding canalise such that they are all aligned and 7.82" isolated legnthwise.

Step 20: Top Panel

Use the affianced file as a direct to abbreviate the spinning top panel out of 1/8" acrylic.

Step 21: Install

Install the SPST on/off switch and M-type business leader jack into the appropriate holes in the acrylic topmost panel.

Step 22: Wire It Ahead

Telegraph the might seafarer to the DPDT king flip-flop atomic number 3 specified in the schematic.

Step 23: Acrylic Base

Cut the base pieces out of 1/8" acrylic victimisation the attached template.

Step 24: Preparation the Battery

Zip tie the barrage to the acrylic paint base with the set of four 0.2" holes in the center.

Trim away the plastic connector from the battery, leaving as much wire connected to the electric battery equally possible.

Footstep 25: Tie the Battery

Connect the barrage fire wires to the appropriate terminals on the power jack as specified in the schematic.

Step 26: Solder

Flip the proto shield over and insert the female coping pins upwards into the appropriate slots on the carapace.

Next, stop up the equal silver screen shield into the feminine heading sockets to control the pins are all being held straight.

At length, cursorily solder all of the pins in place. Avoid heating plant up some of the pins for too long to prevent any damage to the touch shield.

Step 27: Tie Wires

Start building the circle as nominative in the schematic.

Extend wires for the servos, the DC motor and rotary encoder from the proto shields, but do not yet connect them. Additionally, connect a shielded mono cable to the proto shield for the trigger hack, but likewise, do non til now wire the plug into stead.

Step 28: Program the Arduinos

Upload this code to the Arduino dominant the equal shield:

// Photographic camera Rig Adjoin Screen Controller  #let in <Wire.h>  #include <Adafruit_GFX.h>    // Core graphics library #include <Adafruit_TFTLCD.h> // Hardware-taxon library #let in <TouchScreen.h>  #if defined(__SAM3X8E__)     #undef __FlashStringHelper::F(string_literal)     #define F(string_literal) string_literal