I'm currently trying to build some motion control kit for video production using large RED cameras. These would weigh between 5-10kg. I posted another thread about a slider, which you can find below, but here I wanted to pick some brains about building a rotating device. Advice for heavy duty motorised video equipment Essentially, I'd like to build 3 small rotating platforms. These platforms could then be used individually to rotate products, small sets, joined together to rotate items in more complex ways (imagine moving a watch in two different axes), and joined together to form a pan and tilt head for the camera like the link below. Stage R: Rotary Pan and Tilt Bundle with Stepper Motors (add on) I can't see anything on Openbuilds that would work but I spoke with someone at Igus who said the link below would be perfect. It will provide all the torque I need, more than I need, and can be rigged up in lots of ways: robolink® D robot joint, size 20, symmetrical It sounds perfect but it's expensive and I wondered if anyone can think of another solution. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.
that unit looks like it has a worm drive. plenty of places stock worm drives, like McMasterCarr the benefit of a worm drive is that the weight of the camera cannot backdrive it. downside is max speed will be limited by the large reduction ratio, and backlash in 'over the top' movements could be a problem. for a belt drive mechanism you just need to do what all the stabilizer/gimbal platforms require, balance the loads so there is no net turning force from gravity. thus the motor is moving the mass but not the weight (-: so you will need L brackets with slots for balance adjustment.
Thanks for the reply, I had seen some right angle worm drives before and wondered if they might work. Is this the sort of thing you meant from McMasterCarr: McMaster-Carr I'm in the UK but I've seen plenty of similar things. The second approach of balancing the load is fine for using the units for panning and tilting a camera but not so useful when using them for moving products/items. In that scenario the load probably won't be balanced, sometimes yes sometimes no, and I'd love to make this system as flexible as possible, i.e. not just a camera system but rather a set of motors which I can use in lots of different ways.
