Thoughts? - Micro MoVi Stabiliser Gimbal for GoPro

[Ed Oates]

Hi Guys, just joined up here as id like some honest opinions.

 

Im a hobby designer, and play with RC gear for shits and giggles on weekends.

 

You may (most likely even!) have seen the MoVi stabilized gimbal that was presented at NAB. you may also be aware that the stabilization hardware and software for that was designed and made by some RC helicopter/multicopter electronics nerds in Poland, and here in Germany (and based on the stabilization theroy/scripts used for autonomous multicopters/hobby drones).

 

anyway, ive kind of got carried away with designing some light, small (and cheap) stabilized gimbals for RC helicopters etc using 3D printing technology. along the way, i tried out a few designs of a complete stand-alone system, for use exclusively with GoPro HEro2 or Hero3 cameras. It uses the exact same hardware technology as the MoVi, without a few of the custom software tweaks though guys developed (majestic mode etc.... although that could be implemented)

 

the current prototype weighs about 300grams including camera and battery, is about 140m long, and has a standard GoPro mounting fixture and is 360degree rotatable for fixture at any orientation. its got full 360degree roll and tilt capability, and can be extended to 3 axis as required (but i think this kinfd of thing works better in 2 axis... just my humble opinion!). theres open Live View and Ext. Mic ports for external monitor mounting, boom mics etc

 

Designed with standard gopro mounting fixture, the stand-alone gimbal design allows you to mount it to practically anything, including all the standard gopro mounts, poles, hand grips etc... or, mount a gopro tripod adapter, then attach any hand grip, dolly, shoulder stock, gorilla grip or whatever

 

Anyway.... the point of my post is.... i dont know squat about "real" cinematographic requirements, what DOPs look for in cool little gadgets to get unqiue shots, or really anything about profesional filming demands etc...

 

i was wondering , would a micro sized pixel-level digital stabilisation gimbal for gopro cameras (or an equivalently small camera) be of any use/interest to you guys? certaily not for daily use, for every shot, but maybe a useful tool to have for something a bit awkward/out of the ordinary?

 

Im not in this to make a buck, so dont think im scoping for clients, or trying to use your forums to make a product, im genuinely interested to see if something ive desiged and made could be useful to someone?

 

ive only got a few test runs of this specific gimbal to show off (the other gimbal ive got goes flying on my heli), but you get the idea. i need just bit of time invested in more creative mounting, and something more interesting to film... :)

 

 

 

various mounts that im using at the moment

i used the culman 'pipe clamp' fitting to mount it to the rear stay on the back of the bike frame

 

[Ed Oates]

 

Edited June 9, 2013 by Ed Oates

[Ed Oates]

 

Edited June 9, 2013 by Ed Oates

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

How much? It's gotta be VERY inexpensive

[Ed Oates]

you can make it for under $250 complete inc controller, motors and hardware, its basically opensource, the parts can be purchased directly from shapeways (3D printing company).

i mean, i could also make one and send it for about $350 give or take - but thats not my aim (nor do i have heaps of time for that kind of thing! lol)

 

but why does it 'have' to be cheap? cause its junk? just not useful? or do you mean in relation to folks jumping on bandwagons of relatively simple technology and charging a lot for it?

Edited June 9, 2013 by Ed Oates

[Janice Arthur]

Ed

 

That's great and worth way more than u think

 

Contact GoPro and license it to them.

 

You're tapping into the reality market tv shows and a thousand other uses

 

This is brilliant

 

Good luck

 

Janice.

[Brian Freesh]

Very Cool.

 

DJI , who makes Quad and Hex Copters for use with cameras already, has a 2-axis gimbal for use with a Gopro and is releasing a 3-axis gimbal this summer. http://www.dji-innovations.com/product/zenmuse-gimbal-z15/

 

I don't know prices and wish I'd spoken with them at Cinegear, lord knows they were doing all they could to get people's attention. I was casually searching the other day and noticed there seems to be several gimbals available with mounts specific to GoPro. Seems that a lot of people are playing with the technology. We're using a 2-axis gimbal with DJI's consumer quadcopter on a show I'm on. I haven't seen the footage, but I've been impressed with the performance of both the copter and the gimbal.

 

So far as I'm concerned, the price you're throwing out there is in the ballpark of what I'd be looking to spend if I was in the market (and I may yet be in the market)

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

you can make it for under $250 complete inc controller, motors and hardware, its basically opensource, the parts can be purchased directly from shapeways (3D printing company).

i mean, i could also make one and send it for about $350 give or take - but thats not my aim (nor do i have heaps of time for that kind of thing! lol)

 

but why does it 'have' to be cheap? cause its junk? just not useful? or do you mean in relation to folks jumping on bandwagons of relatively simple technology and charging a lot for it?

It has to be cheap because it has to be disposable, its for a $400 camera and it can be inexpensively built

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

That's great and worth way more than u think

 

Contact GoPro and license it to them.

 

You're tapping into the reality market tv shows and a thousand other uses

 

Actually it's not Janice. I know everyone at GoPro (I've taught CEO Nick Woodman when he went to racing school) and they have no interest in building mounts like that and honestly all the see our industry as is free marketing for their CONSUMER product. Sales to our industry make up less than 1% of their total sales

[Janice Arthur]

Eric;

 

Why not ask them?

 

More ideas have been stymied by not trying.

 

If not GoPro than someone else.

 

I can have an opinion too; those were and are mine.

 

So glad you have knowledge of everything, that's your thing.

 

Have a nice week.

 

Janice

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

Eric;

 

Why not ask them?

 

More ideas have been stymied by not trying.

 

If not GoPro than someone else.

 

I can have an opinion too; those were and are mine.

 

So glad you have knowledge of everything, that's your thing.

 

Have a nice week.

 

 

Janice do you understand the concept of "OPEN SOURCE"? might want to do a quick google or bing search for gopro 2 axis stabilized mount. There are quite a few out there and Nick (GoPro CEO) has always said that they build a nice camera for the consumer and that's what works in their business model, not building accessories for less than 1% of their market. They are perfectly happy to let people build and market their own accessories for the camera.

 

As for your comment about me knowing everything? well there is lots I don't know, but yes there is very much that I DO know, My job affords me access to plenty of rather interesting people that do rather interesting things and I tend to want to know how and why things work. It's nice that I come from a family of Engineers and pilots (Only myself, my Father and my brother are in the visual arts) so I was brought up to ask questions and to learn and honestly the closest analog for our industry is the aerospace and and high level pro racing industry both areas where I have plenty of practical experience. I guess you could say it's a life well lived.

[Thomas English]

Love your 3D printing work! Which printer did you use and which material?

[Sam Morgan Moore]

Awesome - Ive PMd you - want one!

 

S

[Martin Stacey]

If Go Pro aren't interested in the professional market why did they spend so much time and money marketing themselves at a professional expo like Cinegear, NAB etc. According to you Eric it's a complete waste of money

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

If Go Pro aren't interested in the professional market why did they spend so much time and money marketing themselves at a professional expo like Cinegear, NAB etc. According to you Eric it's a complete waste of money

Our market is free advertising to them and is what has helped them to sell over two billion dollars of these cameras, for every one camera we buy they sell literally a few thousand elsewhere

 

And if they truley cared about our industry they would release the full manual firmware that they have been sitting on for 9+months, but rightly so they don't want to distribute it because it will confuse the masses