Piezo motors are characterized by higher mechanical power density, fast response and direct drive. These features are beneficial for miniature gimbals. A gimbal based on such motors was developed. Diameter is 58 mm, weight is 190 grams. The gimbal carries two cameras: a Flir Quark and an HD day camera. The dynamic performance is as high as 3 rad/sec velocity and 100 rad/sec^Λ2 acceleration. A two axes stabilization algorithm was developed, yielding 80 micro radian stabilization. Further, a panoramic image capture, at a rate of six stabilized field of views per second, was developed. The manuscript reviews the gimbal structure and open architecture, allowing adaptation to other cameras (SWIR etc.), the control algorithm and presents experimental results of stabilization and of panoramic views taken on a vibration platform and on a UAV.

Date Published: 17 May 2016
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 9828, Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) Systems and Applications XIII, 982809 (17 May 2016); doi: 10.1117/12.2225623

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9828:
Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) Systems and Applications XIII
Daniel J. Henry; Gregory J. Gosian; Davis A. Lange; Dale Linne von Berg; Thomas J. Walls; Darrell L. Young, Editor(s)