Rear video camera mount?

[Garandman]

Took a course at CSS in May and you spend a couple sessions on their "Video bike." It has a frame and camera so that you can see the course and the rider's movements as they go around the course. They tell you to go "70%" and what they really seemed to be looking for was smooth throttle control, which is very important on a 190hp bike.

It looks like this:


I have a ContourHD used it helmet mounted but the over-the-shoulder view adds a lot in terms of seeing what's going on with you and the bike.

Anyone done anything like this ? The V-Strom has a substantial luggage rack to use as a base. Seems like it should be mounted farther back and higher than if you put it on a milk crate. :green_lol:


The CSS framework seems elaborate, but may be what they need to damp out vibrations without a solid mounting platform.

[CBR929RE]

yes, just what I want on a bike, a giant death spear

[mi1knc0okies]

Thats a pretty cool idea. I'd love to see a closer view of what I look like going around the track.

[Garandman]

yes, just what I want on a bike, a giant death spear

If I am catching you, you have more problems than the "Spear of Death."

Thats a pretty cool idea. I'd love to see a closer view of what I look like going around the track.

You can find plenty of vids from the bike on youtube.

[CBR929RE]

If I am catching you, you have more problems than the "Spear of Death."



You can find plenty of vids from the bike on youtube.

I'm not worried about us being on track together. It just seems like a bad idea for anyone to go riding around with that contraption on their bike.

[mi1knc0okies]

I'm not worried about us being on track together. It just seems like a bad idea for anyone to go riding around with that contraption on their bike.

That would be awesome to see going down the road.. By awesome I mean pretty ridiculous and absolutely funny. I can totally see that getting in the way of things or hitting things you normally wouldn't hit on the streets, tree branches, etc

[Trouble]

The GoPros have a really wide angle lens that may give you better results. I've mounted my GoPro (the old version) on its little suction cup tower on the tail of my bike and I was able to see my body movements in relationship to the track. I'm sure it wasn't the same view as what the spear is giving back but it showed my body position really well and enough of the track to see where I was. Unfortunately the vibrations that far back on the tail were enough that after one lap the camera view sagged and all you could see was my ass. You'd have a large advantage having the luggage rack but a harder time seeing past the rider because of the more upright riding position. Try the milk-crate thing with a GoPro and you might get lucky.

[Garandman]

Anyone ever try a gimballed mount? I've seen the vid from the gyro mount and they're pretty awesome, and RC planes have relatively low cost gyros available, but that's way beyond the time commitment I'm willing to put towards it.

I realized I could take a simple tubing hoop to the rear rack, mount a RAM handlebar mount to the top, and be done. But the Contour would be easy enough to gimbal, I think.

[BluGixxer]

It makes me laugh a little bit, your talking about gimballs and gyros. The set up in the first pic looks like #2 rebar protectecting something near the seat, some EMT ,zip ties and a ball of duct tape holding the camera.
Oh , and some paint, and more anti vibration duct tape !

[Garandman]

It makes me laugh a little bit, your talking about gimballs and gyros. The set up in the first pic looks like #2 rebar protectecting something near the seat, some EMT ,zip ties and a ball of duct tape holding the camera.
Oh , and some paint, and more anti vibration duct tape !

Gixxah!

Let me know if they sell anything I can use at "Harbor Frieght".

[Garandman]

Well, been surfing around to get more info.

I was thinking that a simple gimbal with some damping would work. Turns out that's been tried, and once speeds get over 50mph or so, they don't work: the cornering G forces cause the counterweight to tilt into the turn, so it's even worse than a hard-mounted camera.

But the growth of RC planes and helicopters has created a market, albeit mostly DIY, for gyro-stabilized camera mounts. It looks like you can get the necessary hardware for around $100. I'm going to have to have a GEEK fest to learn more about them.

Why is a gyro system worth pursuing? "Lorenzo has one. Rossi has one. And now we have one!"

Gyro Cam around Hockenheim

[Garandman]

Just found what might be a much easier way to provide the gyroscopic horizon control for the servo - a Droid phone.

[loudog]

Well, been surfing around to get more info.

I was thinking that a simple gimbal with some damping would work. Turns out that's been tried, and once speeds get over 50mph or so, they don't work: the cornering G forces cause the counterweight to tilt into the turn, so it's even worse than a hard-mounted camera.

But the growth of RC planes and helicopters has created a market, albeit mostly DIY, for gyro-stabilized camera mounts. It looks like you can get the necessary hardware for around $100. I'm going to have to have a GEEK fest to learn more about them.

Why is a gyro system worth pursuing? "Lorenzo has one. Rossi has one. And now we have one!"

Gyro Cam around Hockenheim

That's awesome! I want one.

[catahoulabuldog]

That's awesome! I want one.

you going to be at the next Tony's? I should have 1 there...

[CBR929RE]

you going to be at the next Tony's? I should have 1 there...

you have a gyro cam? post a video you shot with it and details on the camera.

[catahoulabuldog]

you have a gyro cam? post a video you shot with it and details on the camera.

the upcoming Tony's days will be the shakedown cruise. if all works as planned I am hoping to get the prototype onto OREO's bike for a race or 2. Then Ill have some video to post!

[Garandman]

Build it yourself? What did you use for stabilization?

[catahoulabuldog]

Build it yourself? What did you use for stabilization?

yes building it myself. image stabilization? or imaging device stabilization?

basically there are 2 ways to do this 1 simple... 2 complex... both have advantages and disadvantages.

I'm going with simple first. we'll see how that works out.

[Garandman]

My initial idea was to use a ContourHD camera (101 grams), and piezo gyros to control a servo motor from an RC helicopter. Like this example (not mine).

Gyro Camera test

Now I think I've found a more compact gyro/servo that will do the trick much more reliably, simply and cheaply.

Since that time I've also talked to someone at work who may have figured out how to drive the servo using the gyro and accelerometer functions in a Droid phone. This has the potential to make the device much simpler but of course you would need your phone on board.

We have a Stratasys additive manufacturing system so I can make plastic parts any shape I want for a few dollars. So the physical mounting isn't a problem.

[nhbubba]

What's the fascination with the gyro mount anyway? Why not just work on isolating from vibration. Why does the camera need to be level?

Very neat project. How many axis do you figure you need? 3, or would one to cover the bank of the motorcycle do?

[catahoulabuldog]

What's the fascination with the gyro mount anyway? Why not just work on isolating from vibration. Why does the camera need to be level?

Very neat project. How many axis do you figure you need? 3, or would one to cover the bank of the motorcycle do?

for me? just a neat project. the vibration isolation is difficult and (in the case of motogp) is done simply by using an expensive camera... not an option for me.. I'm keeping this project simple and cheap. which leads to my answer for your other question.. 1 axis... again its good enough for Rossi its good enough for me. 3 axis also makes it to large to be practical.

My goal is to use my existing camera and spend as little $$ as possible and keeping the size minimal. I think I can do it with what I have designed, of course stresses can alter that quickly that is my unknown variable and another reason why 3 axis is out.

Must be nice Garandman! the mounting box for this wont be as elegant..

[CBR929RE]

and if you come up with a nice system that works well I'd be interested in buying one off you.

[Garandman]

What's the fascination with the gyro mount anyway? Why not just work on isolating from vibration. Why does the camera need to be level?//

Getting rid of the vibration is no biggy, depending on the bike and camera.

Having a fixed horizon gives you a much better idea of what the bike is doing - why do you think car, bike, plane, train, whatever instructors tell you not to tilt your head?
Compare this fixed camera view of Hockenheim.
‪BMW s1000rr Hockenheim 25/07/2011‬‏ - YouTube

With this gyro-cam view.
‪Gyro Cam Runde Hockenheim‬‏ - YouTube

and if you come up with a nice system that works well I'd be interested in buying one off you.

I'll be at TTD next 17 & 18 but won't have all the parts until about then. So I'm aiming to have something for the September TTD at NJ.

[CBR929RE]

I'll be at TTD next 17 & 18 but won't have all the parts until about then. So I'm aiming to have something for the September TTD at NJ.

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.

[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.

Nobody has a "system." There is a topic like this on almost every motorcycle forum in the world - do a search. 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.

I'm working with a gyro/servo setup. But it may "lose horizon" and reset itself. None of the suppliers knows how their stuff will react on a motorcycle. It may work perfectly, it may work OK, or it may not work at all. I don't know because I don't get my hands on it until next week. Here's one a guy on advrider made: it loses it's constants and drifts so didn't work. He was using the Arduino platform, which I was wondering about myself.
gyro1 - YouTube

And here's another one that was on a track bike, but the guy speaks French and hasn't responded to questions. Watch to the very end.
Olive_Chute.mp4 - YouTube

Option 2 is a Droid. The reason I'm considering that option is that it may be far cheaper and better than other options.

Setup cost is going to depend as much on the cost of the camera as anything else. A lot of riders these days are buying "keychain cameras" on eBay and mounting them in their helmets. They're about $15 plus the memory card. No stabilization required - your head does it.