DIY gears and build components

[truhlik_fredy]

Hi Guys, this is perhaps off-topic but I was thinking that the people here could have pretty good opinions on this.

I would like to make some automation from my tripod for a camera. I would like to combine it timed shutter, so perhaps I could leave camera to make 24 hour shot while it's rotating and looking around. So I didn't have clue how to do it, so I don't want to make final prototype from real parts but I thought I will start with something modular to be able more experimenting and more trial/error phases and perhaps when the final prototype version will be stable enough I will leave it there and won't be making final product (it will end in the prototype phase).

First I was looking on ebay for cheap Lego parts, but it's isn't as cheap as I wanted and still it's not what I'm searching, I don't want to build crane, or Ferrari, I want just box where will have guarantied many gears, options to connect motors and still have something to build the frame where it everything will be placed (so I found auction just with gears and that won't help me because I won't have the other parts to build case for it).

And then I was thinking there should be other way, something more technical for hobiest, like rapid development kits for DIY-iers, not just toy. I would like to drive the motors with avr mega, or with real PC, it's not important at moment, just to have some platform to work with, which is cheap and easy to work with (I think I don't need the precision of CNC routers so I don't want to pay such prices). First I was thinking to make rotation on 1 axis, the if it's successful add all axis, then add ability to movement (add wheels on the tripod legs).

So guys do you know about something what could be more fit for that task?

Thanks Anton.

[bilko]

Have you considered servos used in radio control models. There are lots of different sizes. Easy to control from micro too.

Edit:

Also pan and tilt mechanism from CCTV systems, worth checking Ebay

Here's a wireless one for a camcorder
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Wireless-Camcorder-Motorized-Pan-and-Tilt-Tripod-Head-/150609369960?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2311049b68

[DaveW]

It isn't a full development system, but something like this
http://www.mfacomodrills.com/gearboxes/multiratio.html

is very useful for playing around with gear ratios. For building the frame it does sound like what you need is old style Lego Technic or Meccano, but the modern ones seem to be much less general and useful for prototyping. Have you considered starting with something easy to work like thick cardboard or wood to get a feel for the design?

[bearman]

Not sure where you are located but Servo City in the USA has what you need.  Servos and pan and tilt systems ready for you to configure as needed.

http://www.servocity.com/html/radios___accessories.html

I know what you are going through.  I have motors and gears.  I don't have the tools to make the gear housing framework and precision tools to put in shafts straight and precisely aligned.

I wish I could find some thing that is like a breadboard housing you can put together and make your own gear trains with.

J.P.

[Mechatrommer]

so perhaps I could leave camera to make 24 hour shot while it's rotating and looking around.

what camera model and weight?

[truhlik_fredy]

The pan tilt tripod looks good, but have anybody experience with it? Precision?

The multi ratio gears looks good to, but I wouldn't mind to make them myself, just I can't do with the motors (RC or others) nothing when I don't have frame to hold them.

Even the servo city has just motors, but still I don't know from what I could build the chassis for that device.

Camera is Canon SX1 and it's about 0.5kg I think.

[Mechatrommer]

ok. you can find and buy ready made pan and tilt, but since you indicated diy, here one of the link http://www.cats.rpi.edu/~wenj/ECSE4962S03/project_overview.html you can study it. you'll need:

1) motor with built in motorgear. you can find slower 30rpm geared motor for better rotation movement and control
2) motor driver board. this will interface your motor with your arduino or mcu board
3) raw material such as aluminum/metal/wood plate/bar for stand and rig and some "barbending" skill

other than the necessary tools ie plyer, screwdriver, metal saw etc. if you need more robust you can add motor encoder. you need to care about mechanical aspect such as torque, momentum etc to avoid jerky movement so you can proper control the speed of your motor etc.

lego parts? thats just a toy for kid and they can cost you a fortune. i dont recommend it.

[Joshua]

This might seem a little bit toy-like. But you should investigate stuff called
Knex. Basically you can buy a box of rods, connectors, gears, motors and other stuff. Don't look at what comes in their little project book, but go to YouTube and you can see some pretty amazing things. The good thing is it is easy to build and modify. You can have a cOmpletely new design in a matter of minutes. You have to play around with them to figure out how everything can work together. I've built many an awesome machine with these things. I would be willing to assist you in telling you'd at you should get, or some tips on how to use them-I've spent many hours messing with these things. Just holler if you do.

Joshua

[truhlik_fredy]

So I put a lot thoughts into it and perhaps I will abandon idea of DIY, first I had no clue that there are already products available with similar functionality. I wanted DIY because I though I have to. But I don't have problems making motor drivers, or controller board (and it won't be ardurino, it will be proper mega avr). But I'm stand still on the mechanical parts.

The knex looks little bit better than Lego, but still it's plastic. I meantime I found Meccano, and it's from metal and Jeremy May made bridge from it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_May's_Top_Toys

It looks like as discontinued toy, and on eBay I found more "collectables" vintage and rare kits than some cheap, easy available with lots parts. But it looks like that from all the toy the Meccano is best candidate.

I'm temped to just buy the mentioned http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Wireless-Camcorder-Motorized-Pan-and-Tilt-Tripod-Head-/150609369960?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2311049b68
but I can't find reviews, feedback etc... I the time-lapse if it won't be precise enough it will be useless for me and just wasted money.

But on the other side if it could be done DIY and more precisely then with good tilt sensor could be the Kessler Crane functionality easy emulated with just tripod, even automated lock on target via triangulation.

[truhlik_fredy]

I have found this

http://www.telescope.com/Orion-Adventures-in-Astrophotography-Bundle/pc/-1/c/-1/sc/-1/p/27154.uts?skipItemBrowsing=true

and price is not bad, but perhaps to much precise, anybody know something more suitable for normal photography?