Mikrokopter Camera Gimbal Rotational Compensation

Droider

Drone Enthusiast
Ok I have my camera gimbal pretty much sorted but for one issue.

If I am going away sideways tracking a target, like a push bike, flying along side, the gimbal does not compensate for the sideways lean..

Any way of setting it up to compensate for this..

Dont know how best to describe it so I'll post a video as soon as I can download and upload it!
 


Bartman

Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
Dave,
I'd like to have an answer from someone closer to the brains of MK to the question, can we expect our camera mounts to remain level in response to roll inputs. I'm under the impression the cameras should remain level but you're the latest to say they don't. I've got to try cranking up my roll numbers to see if ti helps.
Bart
 


Bartman

Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
Dave,
I cranked up my roll and nick settings today and the camera mount almost threw itself off the vibration mounts so there is such a thing as too much compensation. If you know you have a particular shot that you need to get you can pre-set the roll with the first setting under the roll column and then the FC will compensate from there. It's hardly the best option but I think it would work OK.
Bart
 

Crash

Defies Psychics
I may not be understanding the issue but there is a setting to adjust camera nick and roll. Is it called compensation? Can't remember.

What I do is to temporarily put the settings to level the mount on potis. Then I level the mount and put the values into MKTool. Then I will put the compensation settings on potis and tilt the MK to the limit of the camera mount. Then use the potis to again level the mount at extreme MK nick and roll attitudes. Then transfer those poti settings into MKTool.

I hope that makes sense.
 
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Bartman

Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
downhill, pretty funny.
dave, what are you using right now for nick and roll compensation numbers? crash's technique makes sense if you're not sure what the limits are of your nick or roll motions.
is any of this making sense to you or are you still confused?
bart
 

Droider

Drone Enthusiast
It's obvious, innit? Film the bicycles going downhill :p

Yeh thats the plan but he has to look like he is going down a hill not a cliff face!

dave, what are you using right now for nick and roll compensation numbers? crash's technique makes sense if you're not sure what the limits are of your nick or roll motions.
is any of this making sense to you or are you still confused?
bart

I think I have done what crash is saying but Ill check it out today when I get the the Office.. her indoors is starting to look at me strange now cos she seems to walk in to the kitchen every time I am rolling my ADX from side to side!

From what I can find out it seems to be a problem with the way the MK FC controls the gimbal. If you are flying straight like I am doing in the snippet and the FC levels off the gimbal when you yaw it round to get the shot the gimbal stays level, and I can see why. It would be quite a complicated algorithm for the MK to know thats the shot you want. I a informed that there other solutions for the gimbal control and I am looking in to it. But for now it seems we are stuck with it... SO its going to look like a very steep hill or that they are defying gravity when I film this weekend!
 


Crash

Defies Psychics
I think you are referring to what they call gimbal lock?? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimbal_lock

I don't think that is what is going on but I'm not an expert and I don't currently have a camera mount installed to test.

If you simply roll the MK to the limit of the camera mount does the camera stay level?

The complicated algorithm is already in place on the MK. It already combines 3 axis gyros, ACC, and compas to compute craft attitude. Maybe there's something else going on though. Let us know what you find out.

BTW, You could always use a Poti in flight to compensate.

Yeh thats the plan but he has to look like he is going down a hill not a cliff face!

I think I have done what crash is saying but Ill check it out today when I get the the Office.. her indoors is starting to look at me strange now cos she seems to walk in to the kitchen every time I am rolling my ADX from side to side!

From what I can find out it seems to be a problem with the way the MK FC controls the gimbal. If you are flying straight like I am doing in the snippet and the FC levels off the gimbal when you yaw it round to get the shot the gimbal stays level, and I can see why. It would be quite a complicated algorithm for the MK to know thats the shot you want. I a informed that there other solutions for the gimbal control and I am looking in to it. But for now it seems we are stuck with it... SO its going to look like a very steep hill or that they are defying gravity when I film this weekend!
 

RTRyder

Merlin of Multirotors
Yeh thats the plan but he has to look like he is going down a hill not a cliff face!

I think I have done what crash is saying but Ill check it out today when I get the the Office.. her indoors is starting to look at me strange now cos she seems to walk in to the kitchen every time I am rolling my ADX from side to side!

From what I can find out it seems to be a problem with the way the MK FC controls the gimbal. If you are flying straight like I am doing in the snippet and the FC levels off the gimbal when you yaw it round to get the shot the gimbal stays level, and I can see why. It would be quite a complicated algorithm for the MK to know thats the shot you want. I a informed that there other solutions for the gimbal control and I am looking in to it. But for now it seems we are stuck with it... SO its going to look like a very steep hill or that they are defying gravity when I film this weekend!

This an instance where you might want to have 360 degree pan capability on the mount, you could continue to fly straight ahead and simply turn the camera to the direction you want.

I agree there are limitations to what the Mk flight controller board can do for mount compensation, after all that is not its primary purpose, camera mount comp is an add-on after the fact.

From all my experimentation with different mounts and the Hoverfly board as well, I've come to the conclusion if you want really good tilt and roll compensation on a camera mount it requires a controller dedicated just to that function, problem is most of the ones that currently exist for professional use on some of the RC Heli gear are as expensive as the multi they'd be attached to.

It would be nice if someone did an adaptation of something like the MultiWii controller for use as a camera mount stabilizer.

Ken
 

Bartman

Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
It would be nice if someone did an adaptation of something like the MultiWii controller for use as a camera mount stabilizer.
Ken

I agree wholeheartedly and appreciate you for stepping up to get it done. You're perfect for the job and have all of our support.
When can we expect a status update?
Will it carry a DSLR? (had to ask that)
 

Crash

Defies Psychics
It would be nice if someone did an adaptation of something like the MultiWii controller for use as a camera mount stabilizer.

Ken

Am I correct in remembering that servo support in multiwii isn't quite finished yet?

Have you seen this? http://www.declspec.com/quadrino-datasheet.pdf
He may be coming out with a very small board with the same sensors. That may be a good option if/when the multiwii firmware can properly drive the servos.

Isn't the multiwii pin compatible with the arducopter? hmmm
 

jes1111

Active Member
Definitely not "gimbal lock" - that's something else entirely.

Not sure of the price but the Picloc-2X seems to be the dedicated controller of choice at the moment.

I haven't heard before of the MK having trouble levelling the camera in this situation - methinks something is not set or set wrong in the configuration?
 

RTRyder

Merlin of Multirotors
I agree wholeheartedly and appreciate you for stepping up to get it done. You're perfect for the job and have all of our support.
When can we expect a status update?
Will it carry a DSLR? (had to ask that)

I'll have a eval unit done as soon as you finish writing the code for it, I'm just the hardware guy...

Ken
 

RTRyder

Merlin of Multirotors
Definitely not "gimbal lock" - that's something else entirely.

Not sure of the price but the Picloc-2X seems to be the dedicated controller of choice at the moment.

I haven't heard before of the MK having trouble levelling the camera in this situation - methinks something is not set or set wrong in the configuration?

Here's an interesting tidbit on Picloc vs. MK flight controller... http://www.aplanding.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5239

Ken
 

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