Hey all, I'm new both here and to the world of robotics, so please forgive me if I have a hard time following or don't know how to convey my query properly. Also excuse me for this being very wordy and more in depth than it likely needs to be, I don't know what about my project is important to mention.
As a little background on the reason for my project: I am formerly a photographer by trade, and for fun I still enjoy taking panoramic photos by putting the camera on a tripod and rotating it a bit at a time both horizontally and vertically and using all of the photos (usually a few hundred) to make one photo with weird warped perspective and a 360 degree view. This can be a pain to do and I often end up missing small sections and ruining the whole thing; and also it needs to be done quickly so clouds or anything moving will line up-or to not miss the rapidly dimming light during a sunset. Often times I do this while traveling and one missed section or moment wasted is totally disheartening when I get back home from a trip, anticipating the final result the whole way back, and realize it's not going to work.
My idea is to build a robot of sorts to do the work for me, rotating in small increments to be sure to capture everything, while working much faster and precisely than I can. I am aware that a product exists that does this, but it is meant for small consumer point and shoot cameras, not larger DSLR cameras like I use. Combined with the ridiculous price tag, I decided to just build something tailored to my exact needs. All I really have so far is an idea of the frame required (basically a "U" shaped set of arms with the camera bridged across the top of the on a plate that can rotate around a horizontal axis; the whole thing on another plate to rotate it around a vertical axis while mounted on a sturdy tripod) but while I can handle the design and fabrication of the frame just fine, I lack any knowledge of the other hardware and software required to automate my contraption.
I assume I would want to use stepper motors with a relatively fine degree of rotation (I typically go 5 degrees at a time according to the hash marks on my tripod,) though I'm not sure what size/power is needed-especially for rotating the camera around the horizontal axis. The camera (2 pounds) and plate (>1lb) would be fairly centered on the axis of rotation; the lens (approx 2 lb) will extend out about 5.5 inches off of the axis of rotation. I'd imagine the motor for the vertical axis doesn't need to be nearly as powerful since it doesn't really have any leverage against it due to gravity, but I plan on using identical motors just to make things easier for me to learn. I've done some looking and only really came across ones that seem like they would be too small. I'm also not sure if I know if I need a Unipolar or Bipolar motor.
While I am a bit confused about the motors, what REALLY escapes me is the other hardware to back up the motors operation. I'm obviously going to need a controller of some sort, as well as a power supply. I can figure out the battery situation once I know my system and its requirements, so my main concern is the controller. How am I to know if my controller will be compatible with whatever motors I choose or if it will be able to perform the functions I want? In addition to wanting a few different options as far as the pattern of rotation, I also need to have an option for a time interval between movements in the event of long exposures. Finally, I need to be able to program an additional port to fire the shot, either through an electronic cable release spliced in somehow (I believe they are basic enough to find a way for that to work), or a solenoid physically depressing the button. I'm guessing that even the most basic controller would be up to the task, but I don't know how to tell for sure what I need to get. I've seen drivers for sale as a "related product" while browsing for motors, is this something different from the controller? As far as the programming aspect, I have a friend who is proficient in a few different programming languages and is willing to walk me though that part of the process. I just need to get to the point where I have something to program.
Sorry for running on so long, I just wanted to make sure I didn't leave anything out. I'm still doing my own research, but I wanted to put this question up for you guys to see so as to give it time to be seen and all that, should anyone chose to reply. I'm anxious to figure all of this out and start building. If I have come to the wrong place in search of advice, perhaps you could point me in the right direction.
Thank you for your time and have a good day!
As a little background on the reason for my project: I am formerly a photographer by trade, and for fun I still enjoy taking panoramic photos by putting the camera on a tripod and rotating it a bit at a time both horizontally and vertically and using all of the photos (usually a few hundred) to make one photo with weird warped perspective and a 360 degree view. This can be a pain to do and I often end up missing small sections and ruining the whole thing; and also it needs to be done quickly so clouds or anything moving will line up-or to not miss the rapidly dimming light during a sunset. Often times I do this while traveling and one missed section or moment wasted is totally disheartening when I get back home from a trip, anticipating the final result the whole way back, and realize it's not going to work.
My idea is to build a robot of sorts to do the work for me, rotating in small increments to be sure to capture everything, while working much faster and precisely than I can. I am aware that a product exists that does this, but it is meant for small consumer point and shoot cameras, not larger DSLR cameras like I use. Combined with the ridiculous price tag, I decided to just build something tailored to my exact needs. All I really have so far is an idea of the frame required (basically a "U" shaped set of arms with the camera bridged across the top of the on a plate that can rotate around a horizontal axis; the whole thing on another plate to rotate it around a vertical axis while mounted on a sturdy tripod) but while I can handle the design and fabrication of the frame just fine, I lack any knowledge of the other hardware and software required to automate my contraption.
I assume I would want to use stepper motors with a relatively fine degree of rotation (I typically go 5 degrees at a time according to the hash marks on my tripod,) though I'm not sure what size/power is needed-especially for rotating the camera around the horizontal axis. The camera (2 pounds) and plate (>1lb) would be fairly centered on the axis of rotation; the lens (approx 2 lb) will extend out about 5.5 inches off of the axis of rotation. I'd imagine the motor for the vertical axis doesn't need to be nearly as powerful since it doesn't really have any leverage against it due to gravity, but I plan on using identical motors just to make things easier for me to learn. I've done some looking and only really came across ones that seem like they would be too small. I'm also not sure if I know if I need a Unipolar or Bipolar motor.
While I am a bit confused about the motors, what REALLY escapes me is the other hardware to back up the motors operation. I'm obviously going to need a controller of some sort, as well as a power supply. I can figure out the battery situation once I know my system and its requirements, so my main concern is the controller. How am I to know if my controller will be compatible with whatever motors I choose or if it will be able to perform the functions I want? In addition to wanting a few different options as far as the pattern of rotation, I also need to have an option for a time interval between movements in the event of long exposures. Finally, I need to be able to program an additional port to fire the shot, either through an electronic cable release spliced in somehow (I believe they are basic enough to find a way for that to work), or a solenoid physically depressing the button. I'm guessing that even the most basic controller would be up to the task, but I don't know how to tell for sure what I need to get. I've seen drivers for sale as a "related product" while browsing for motors, is this something different from the controller? As far as the programming aspect, I have a friend who is proficient in a few different programming languages and is willing to walk me though that part of the process. I just need to get to the point where I have something to program.
Sorry for running on so long, I just wanted to make sure I didn't leave anything out. I'm still doing my own research, but I wanted to put this question up for you guys to see so as to give it time to be seen and all that, should anyone chose to reply. I'm anxious to figure all of this out and start building. If I have come to the wrong place in search of advice, perhaps you could point me in the right direction.
Thank you for your time and have a good day!
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