Rear video camera mount?

[nhbubba]

If it was easy and cheap, Contour and GoPro would be all over it. Contour already has a GPS integrated camera so they're two thirds of the way to the MotoGP system.

This surprises me. A servo, an accelerometer, and a small, cheap micro seem like about all this would take. Accelerometers are cheap and easy to find these days thanks to cell phones and the like.

Or are the accelerometers really that inaccurate and/or difficult to program around?

Arduino + an accelerometer sounds like a reasonably good way to solve this one. Speaking just from the video, the first one looks like a software issue. Did he offer any analysis on what was going wrong?

The second video nails it. Wonder how he implemented it. Would be very interesting to see his rig.

I also wonder how big and cumbersome a DIY gimbal unit is going to be. I know how it would look if I built it!
If you can design and fabricate precision plastic parts, you have a huge advantage here.


As said, neat project.

Truth told, I've almost been looking for an excuse to buy this. Almost.

[catahoulabuldog]

camera drift is part of the low budget. IR with horizon might be the way to go but i feel that might be inconstant as well just move an appendage near it... I really do think simple is better. most of this stuff online looks like people OVER thought it.

my parts are on the way. my existing camera is already here. Ill know if it works or not quickly. or I should say..I know it will work its just how well. again.. my goal is. cheap, use existing "action camera", small in size. I also am keeping my expectations realistic when it comes to drift.

can i get all that? lol who knows!

[Garandman]

yeah but your system is gonna require a Droid (or other smartphone) I assume. I don't have one of them and don't want to buy one.

if someone comes up with a nice gyro cam and works out the bugs I'd be interested in possible buying one over the winter. I just don't wanna spend a fortune cause I'd have to buy the camera also.

$10 keychain camera.
$10 key chain camera test - 8-22-10 NJMP Lightning Absolute Group 3 - YouTube

[Kazinator]

$10 keychain camera.

+1

[CBR929RE]

$10 keychain camera.
$10 key chain camera test - 8-22-10 NJMP Lightning Absolute Group 3 - YouTube

I have a POV1. not looking for another similar camera. if I'm gonna buy a new one I want a self contained unit, HD and gyro. GPS and other data aquisition stuff would also be nice also but are further down on the list.

[catahoulabuldog]

I have a POV1. not looking for another similar camera. if I'm gonna buy a new one I want a self contained unit, HD and gyro. GPS and other data aquisition stuff would also be nice also but are further down on the list.

great camera system! not conducive to flexible mounting.... that baby wants a hard static mount point...

[Garandman]

I have a POV1. not looking for another similar camera. if I'm gonna buy a new one I want a self contained unit, HD and gyro. GPS and other data aquisition stuff would also be nice also but are further down on the list.

You mentioned a budget concern, that's why I brought it up.

[CBR929RE]

great camera system! not conducive to flexible mounting.... that baby wants a hard static mount point...

its a nice camera for not being HD. problem I have with it is that it sucks having the big ass recording unit and no place to put it. it might fit under the tail of my bike but that makes it a pain to use and the remote seems to only work when it wants to. So if it was in the tail it would be hit or miss if its recording.

You mentioned a budget concern, that's why I brought it up.

what I meant was that if someone came up with a viable gyro set up for a gopro or countour that's only a couple hundred bucks then we'd be in business and I'd buy one of those cameras.

[catahoulabuldog]

parts came in... about an hour rough assemble... testing......

[Garandman]

parts came in... about an hour rough assemble... testing......

Awesome. Will you be at the TTD days 16 and 17? I may have the Dunehaven integrated gyro/servo to show you, but won't have built a mount.

Just put an ad in CL for a contract EE to do a project for me to integrate a package that will keep horizon. I believe most of the RC stuff will drift, so they'll work for a while but not a 20 minute track session. I think that's why most of the videos on YouTube aren't much over a minute. If we get something to work, I believe there are enough enthusiasts around to cover the development costs. But I think the parts alone will be over $200, so you're probably looking at a $500 price tag plus a camera. If the Dunehaven rig works OK, that's a $70 part, and you'd need mounting/hardening/waterproofing, camera and power supply at least.

[catahoulabuldog]

YEp Ill be there for thursday only. assembly was cake can actually go smaller, need to tighten it all up but I wanted to rough it up. Does it work? yep.. does it drift? sure... noticeable at a place like Loudon? probably not. the long right and left at NJMP Thunderbolt? possible.. for the 115.00 im into it... its exactly what I would expect.. kinda stoked to try it out! gotta button it up though..

Awesome. Will you be at the TTD days 16 and 17? I may have the Dunehaven integrated gyro/servo to show you, but won't have built a mount.

Just put an ad in CL for a contract EE to do a project for me to integrate a package that will keep horizon. I believe most of the RC stuff will drift, so they'll work for a while but not a 20 minute track session. I think that's why most of the videos on YouTube aren't much over a minute. If we get something to work, I believe there are enough enthusiasts around to cover the development costs. But I think the parts alone will be over $200, so you're probably looking at a $500 price tag plus a camera. If the Dunehaven rig works OK, that's a $70 part, and you'd need mounting/hardening/waterproofing, camera and power supply at least.

[nhbubba]

You gotta post photos and details man. Now I'm really curious what you put together.

[catahoulabuldog]

You gotta post photos and details man. Now I'm really curious what you put together.

lol looks like a small grey box with a gopro stuck to it.

[catahoulabuldog]

the eagerly awaited test... does it work?

http://youtu.be/4XWtHJzD3lY

[CBR929RE]

the eagerly awaited test... does it work?

http://youtu.be/4XWtHJzD3lY

not bad.

[nhbubba]

Almost.

[Garandman]

the eagerly awaited test... does it work?

http://youtu.be/4XWtHJzD3lY

Are you trying to develop a commercial product, develop an open-domain product, or just build one for yourself?

[catahoulabuldog]

Are you trying to develop a commercial product, develop an open-domain product, or just build one for yourself?

Let's call this.one proof of concept. Id call that working... and I've already received interest in it.... so I've already submitted a patent request.

[loudog]

Let's call this.one proof of concept. Id call that working... and I've already received interest in it.... so I've already submitted a patent request.

That's awesome Keith! I'm bummed I had to leave before thrusday so I couldn't check it out...

[Garandman]

Let's call this.one proof of concept. Id call that working... and I've already received interest in it.... so I've already submitted a patent request.

Let us know when you have a product that can be purchased.

My intention is to make everything open domain. Once we got something working, we're going to put the parts list out so people can copy it or improve it as they wish. Any money that came about would be from selling parts or kits. Selling to amateur racers is a get-rich-slow program.

That's awesome Keith! I'm bummed I had to leave before thrusday so I couldn't check it out...

This week I'm working on a plastic housing for the QStarz to facilitate easy and secure access.

[Garandman]

I want to buy a power supply to take 12VDC and convert to 6VDC for the gyro/servo and some other RC bits and pieces.

Apparently Hanson Hobby and a shop in Nashua NH are both good for RC hardware. Anyone else have any recommendations? Those places are both nearly an hour from Boston.

[Garandman]

OK, tomorrow I'll be testing the "El Cheapo, almost good enough" mount.

It's comprised of a GS-1 combination gyro/servo from Dunehaven ($69), an HD keychain camera ($39 + memory) and some aluminum and plastic brackets I fabricated at work. Imagine this only mounted in the roll axis.


This should give some of the effect of a gyro-stabilized mount in a simpler, more compact way than most, but like all those I've seen so far, suffers from the problem of drift.

I've also contacted some designers to see if they can spec out hardware that will solve the drift problem. This will probably require a servo, an autopilot, possibly another gyro unit, a BEC to tie it into the bike's electrical system, and the necessary mounting hardware. The initial estimate is $350 to $3,000 in parts: no one knows what will work on a bike.

[Garandman]

Well, I didn't have a racetrack handy so I went to a nearby rotary. If you look out to the horizon it seems to stay pretty steady.

Motorcycle Gyrocam

[SVRACER01]

i have a dumb question.
couldnt you just mount a camera to a bearing somehow and just have a ballast on the bottom so that it would always self level without the need for servos and such?

[Garandman]

i have a dumb question.
couldnt you just mount a camera to a bearing somehow and just have a ballast on the bottom so that it would always self level without the need for servos and such?

It's not a dumb question. I first started thinking about gimbal systems, as used on boats and coffee cup holders. Remember that the mantra in most engineering staffs anywhere is simple-cheap-effective, in that order. I'd originally sketched up a simple bracket that used a skateboard bearing mounted to a RAM ball, with a 1/4-20 screw on top and a bolt on the bottom so you could add large washers as a counterweight. Cost would have been $10.

It turns out many others have tried all this. None of this stuff is new (or patentable), just new to us. There are a couple of examples on youtube.

At speeds above 40-50mph, the lateral load from acceleration exceeds gravity, and the it makes the camera swing more, in the wrong direction. Race scrutineers are not wild about counterweights swinging around, either.