KR20180026281A - Vibration-free gimbal device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a non-vibration gimbal apparatus for photographing an image, which when a plurality of cameras are attached to a moving means such as an unmanned aerial vehicle, a manned aerial vehicle, an unmanned vehicle, a manned vehicle, and the like to photograph an image, absorbs vibration generated by the moving means to minimize the distortion of the image. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the non-vibration gimbal apparatus for photographing an image comprises: a support plate having a through hole formed therein; at least one buffer bridge formed on the support plate to be spaced apart from each other; a buffer member formed between the support plate and the buffer bridge; a wire pulley formed to be connected to the buffer bridge, and disposed at a lower portion of the support plate through the through hole; a first buffer arm formed to be rotatably connected to the wire pulley; a second buffer arm formed to be rotated with the first buffer arm; a support arm formed to be rotated with the second buffer arm; a buffer wire formed to be connected to the first and second buffer arms, and having a length to be controlled by the wire pulley; and a camera tray formed to be connected to the support arm.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a vibration-free gimbal device,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an anti-vibration gimbal apparatus for image capturing, and more particularly, to an anti-vibration gimbal apparatus for capturing an image by capturing an image by attaching to a moving means such as an unmanned aerial vehicle, And more particularly, to a vibration-free gimbal apparatus for image capture capable of minimizing the occurrence of distortion of an image by absorbing vibrations generated by a vibration.

In general, aerial imaging is expensive, requiring an additional aerodrome, because it is equipped with manned aircraft, pilots, and expensive imaging equipment specially designed for aerial photography. On the other hand, aerial image capturing by unmanned aerial vehicles such as drone can be operated with a relatively small equipment and manpower, so it is widely used in small aerial photographing.

However, aerial imaging by unmanned aerial vehicles, such as drone or Helicam, is dependent on the pilot's ability to control the image quality and, above all, There is a drawback that it is difficult to use high-quality video equipment. In order to shoot the aerial image with the drone, a camera gimbal device capable of mounting a drones and a camera is required, and the operation of the gimbal device is also an important factor in acquiring an aerial image.

Until now, the aerial photographing by the unmanned aerial vehicle separately requires the ground pilot who manages the gimbals mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle separately from the unmanned aerial pilot. Manually maneuvering the eyes of the camera mounted on the gimbap of the unmanned aerial vehicle by the ground gimbal pilot and tracking the object to be shot. In order to adjust the camera angle, the ground gimbal pilot is equipped with a separate miniature camera so that the user can view the image taken from the current line of sight of the camera, and transmits the image of the camera to the ground, Adjust the shooting angle while watching the pilot.

Meanwhile, with the development of virtual reality (VR) technology, there has been a demand for VR images for the public. In order to shoot VR images, 360 degrees and up and down images should be obtained. In the case of a public VR image, the drones located on the gimbal unit are also photographed, and the drone photographed through the VR image processing is not seen.

In order to shoot aerial VR images, the camera-loaded gimbal should be pulled downward to the bottom of the drones so that the drones are at least caught in the camera field of view. As the gimbal is formed long, There is a disadvantage in that a structure for taking off and landing the drones is installed as shown in FIG. 8, or the user directly takes out the dron equipped with the gimbals and takes the direct drones when landing.

In addition, since the conventional gimbal device for aerial VR imaging implements a camera mounted on the end of a long bar, the gimbal device itself can not perform the function of absorbing or mitigating the vibration, The vibration generated when the position of the drone suddenly changes at the time of acceleration or turbulence is transmitted to the gimbals device as it is, and this vibration is also transmitted to the camera. Therefore, the photographed VR image is distorted due to the vibration, so that a high quality VR image can not be obtained.

Korean Patent No. 10-1610802

The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus capable of absorbing a vibration generated by a moving means when a plurality of cameras are attached to a moving means such as an unmanned aerial vehicle, a manned air vehicle, an unmanned vehicle, An object of the present invention is to provide a vibrationless gimbal apparatus for photographing.

The vibration-free gimbal apparatus for photographing according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:

A support plate having a through hole formed therein; At least one buffer bridge formed on the support plate; A buffer member formed between the support plate and the buffer bridge; A wire pulley connected to the buffer bridge and disposed at a lower portion of the support plate through the through hole; A first buffer arm rotatably connected to the wire pulley; A second buffer arm rotatably coupled to the first buffer arm; A support arm formed to be rotatable with the second buffer arm; A buffer wire connected to the first buffer arm and the second buffer arm and having a length adjusted by the wire pulley; And a camera tray connected to the support arm.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the support plate is characterized in that an attachment hole for attaching to the moving means is formed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the buffer bridge is formed with a coupling hole for coupling the coupling wire for coupling with the wire pulley.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the buffer bridge is formed in a shape depressed at the center.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the buffer member is formed of a material having elasticity.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the camera tray includes a camera mount plate on which the camera is mounted, and a camera balance holding module for maintaining the balance of the camera mount plate.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the camera balance maintaining module includes: a gyro sensor for sensing an axial movement displacement of the camera mount plate; and a correction value for maintaining the horizontal position of the camera mount plate from the sensed value of the gyro sensor And a horizontal holding unit for holding the camera holding plate horizontally by controlling the motor in accordance with the calculated correction value.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a remote controller for controlling operation of the non-vibrating gimbals device by transmitting a control signal to the non-vibrating gimbals device through wireless communication.

Other specific embodiments of various aspects of the present invention are included in the detailed description below.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, when a plurality of cameras are attached to a moving means such as an unmanned air vehicle, a manned air vehicle, an unmanned vehicle, an induction vehicle, and the like to absorb a vibration generated by the moving means, Can be minimized.

Also, when used in a unmanned aerial vehicle such as a drone, for example, it is possible to effectively take off and land the dron without a separate structure for landing and landing the drones.

1 is a front view showing an anti-vibration gimbal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of an anti-vibration gimbal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a plan view showing a camera tray of the vibration-free gimbal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit of an anti-vibration gimbal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an installation of an anti-vibration gimbal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention in an unmanned aerial vehicle.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a non-vibrating gimbals device according to an embodiment of the present invention installed and flying on a unmanned air vehicle, wherein (a) is a case where the unmanned air vehicle is flying normally, and (b) (C) is the case where the unmanned aerial vehicle completes the dive flight.
FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a state in which an anti-vibration gimbal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on an unmanned aerial vehicle to complete a flight and land on land.
FIG. 8 is a photograph illustrating a process of taking off a dron equipped with a gimbal apparatus for photographing a conventional image.

The present invention is capable of various modifications and various embodiments and is intended to illustrate and describe the specific embodiments in detail. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present invention, terms such as "comprises" or "having" are used to designate the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof. Hereinafter, a vibration-free gimbal apparatus for photographing according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a front view showing an anti-vibration gimbal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of an anti-vibration gimbal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a plan view showing a camera tray of the vibration-free gimbal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit of an anti-vibration gimbal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The vibration-free gimbals device for image capturing according to the present invention is a device in which a plurality of cameras are attached to a moving means such as an unmanned vehicle, a manned vehicle, an unmanned vehicle, Minimize the occurrence of distortion. In the following description, a case of a unmanned aerial vehicle such as a drone is described as an example of a moving means, but the moving means is not limited to an unmanned aerial vehicle.

1 to 4, an anti-vibration gimbal device 10 (hereinafter, referred to as a 'non-vibration gimbal device') for image capturing according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a support plate 100, a buffer bridge 200 The buffering member 300, the wire pulley 400, the first buffer arm 510, the second buffer arm 520, the support arm 530, the buffer wire 410, and the camera tray 600 do.

The support plate 100 is formed in a predetermined shape, for example, a circular shape or a shape corresponding to a lower shape of an unmanned aerial vehicle (for example, a drone).

A through hole 110 is formed in the support plate 100 to connect the buffer bridge 200 formed on the support plate 100 and the wire pulley 400 disposed under the support plate 100.

The support plate 100 may be provided with an attachment device such that the vibration-free gimbal device 10 of the present invention is attached to a moving means such as an unmanned air vehicle, a manned air vehicle, an unmanned vehicle, A hole 120 is formed.

The buffer bridge 200 may be formed in the form of a bar having a predetermined hardness and a plurality of buffer bridges 200 may be arranged to form a radial shape with respect to the center of the through hole 110 . In FIG. 2, four buffer bridges 200 form a radiation pattern with respect to the center of the through-hole 110.

A coupling hole 210 is formed in the buffer bridge 200 so that a connection wire 420 for coupling with the wire pulley 400 is fitted. At this time, the plurality of buffer bridges 200 are provided with coupling holes in the buffer bridges 200 corresponding to the positions of the coupling holes. That is, in FIG. 2, four buffer bridges 200 overlap at the center of the through hole 110, and a coupling hole is formed at the overlapping position, and one connection wire is connected to each of the four buffer bridges 200 And is formed so as to penetrate all of the coupling holes.

The buffer bridge 200 is formed in a straight bar shape as viewed from above, but is formed to be recessed by a predetermined depth around the perimeter of the through hole 110 when viewed from the side. This is to reduce the distance between the buffer bridge 200 and the camera tray 600 connected indirectly with the buffer wire 410 so that the camera tray 600 can be lifted and lowered with less force.

A buffer member 300 is formed between the support plate 100 and the buffer bridge 200. The cushioning member 300 vibrates the buffer bridge 200 on the support plate 100 so that vibrations generated when the position of the dron suddenly changes due to vibration or turbulence generated when the position of the dron changes, (300) absorbs the vibration primarily. For this, the buffer member 300 is made of a material having elasticity, and may be made of, for example, silicon.

The wire pulley 400 is connected to the buffer bridge 200 by a connection wire 420 at a lower portion of the support plate 100. The wire pulley 400 is fixed to a separate support (not shown) connected to the support plate 100 and is controlled to rotate forward or reverse by a motor (not shown) connected to the wire pulley 400, (410). On the other hand, the motor for controlling the rotation of the wire pulley 400 is controlled in accordance with a control signal of a remote control unit described later.

One end of the first buffer arm 510 is connected to the wire pulley 400 so as to be rotatable at a predetermined angle and the other end of the first buffer arm 510 is connected to the second buffer arm 520.

One end of the second buffer arm 520 is connected to the other end of the first buffer arm 510 so as to be rotatable by a predetermined angle and the other end of the second buffer arm 520 is rotatably supported at a predetermined angle, (530). The other end of the supporting arm 530 is connected to the camera tray 600.

The first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520 are formed of a structure (for example, a hinge structure) that can be folded or extended by external vibration, So that the vibration is relieved.

The buffer wire 410 is connected to the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520 and is adjusted in length by the wire pulley 400. The buffer wire 410 is held in tension by the tension, and when external vibration is applied, the tension is temporarily released and loosened temporarily, and then the original tension is recovered again to be tightened.

For example, when the tension of the cushioning wire 410 is temporarily released due to the vibration generated when the position of the dron suddenly changes due to the vibration or turbulence caused by the rapid descent (or rapid acceleration) of the drones, The force acting on the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520 connected to the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520 is temporarily released so that the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520 are folded. Thereafter, when the flying state of the drones is returned to the normal flight, the tension of the buffer wire 410 is restored, so that the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520 also return to their original positions. As a result, vibrations caused by the change of the position of the drone due to turbulence or rapid acceleration are alleviated by the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520. [ The vibration damping action of the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520 is effective for alleviating vibrations that occur when the drone is rapidly lowered.

The camera tray 600 mounts a plurality of cameras for image capturing and maintains the balance of the mounted camera. To this end, the camera tray 600 includes a camera balance holding module 620 for maintaining the balance between the camera mount plate 610 on which the camera is mounted and the camera mount plate 610.

The camera mount plate 610 mounts cameras corresponding to the number of cameras determined according to the type and quality of an image to be photographed. For example, if the photographed image is a planar image, the camera mount plate 610 can mount six cameras for photographing the four rooms and the upside and downside, and if the photographed image is a three-dimensional image, Since a pair of cameras is required, it is possible to mount 12 cameras in order to shoot 4 rooms and up and down. FIG. 4 illustrates a camera tray 600 that mounts twelve cameras, and reference numerals C1 to C10 denote a portion where the camera is mounted. C1 to C8 are cameras that shoot four rooms, and C9 and C10 are cameras that shoot the top. C9, and C10 are mounted on the back of the camera for shooting downward. Of course, the number of such cameras is only exemplary and is not limited thereto.

The camera balance maintaining module 620 controls the axial direction of the camera mount plate 610 so that the photographing direction of the camera is kept horizontal. The camera balance holding module 620 includes a gyro sensor 621 for sensing the axial movement displacement of the camera mount plate 610 and a sensor for detecting the horizontal position of the camera mount plate 610 from the detection value of the gyro sensor 621 And a horizontal holding unit 622 for holding the camera holding plate 610 horizontally by controlling the motor according to the calculated correction value.

The gyro sensor 621 senses an axial movement displacement (for example, a movement angle) of the camera mount plate 610, and the mount position may be installed anywhere on the camera mount plate 610. In some cases, it may be attached to the camera. The gyro sensor 621 preferably uses a minimum two-axis gyro sensor.

The horizontal holding unit 622 includes a motor fixing table 622a formed on the camera mounting plate 610 and motors 622b and 622c formed on each side of the motor fixing table 622a. Although a biaxial motor is illustrated in the drawing, the present invention is not limited to this, but a three-axis motor is also possible.

The motor fixing table 622a is formed in a 'C' shape as shown, and is fixed to the camera mounting plate 610. The first motor 622b is formed at the center of the motor fixing table 622a and is rotatable with the supporting arm 530. [ The second motor 622c is formed on the side of the motor fixing table 622a and is rotatable with a portion protruded for camera mounting on the camera mounting plate 610. [

The camera mount plate 610 is rotatable in the R1 direction with respect to the x axis in accordance with the rotation of the first motor 622b and the camera mount plate 610 rotates in the direction of R2 with respect to the y axis according to the rotation of the second motor 622c. Direction.

In the case where it is desired to rotate based on the z-axis which is the up-and-down direction of the ground, a motor may be installed and connected to a predetermined portion of the support arm 530.

On the other hand, the non-vibration gimbishing device 10 can be controlled by the remote control unit 700. [

The remote controller 700 can control the operation of the non-vibrating gimbals device 10 by transmitting a control signal to the non-vibration gimbals device 10 through wireless communication. To this end, as shown in FIG. 4, the remote control unit 700 includes an input module 710 and a communication module 720.

The input module 710 receives a control command from the user for controlling the operation of the non-vibrating gimbal apparatus 10.

The communication module 720 transmits the control signal input by the user to the vibrationless gimbals device 10. At this time, the control signal may be a signal for controlling the current of the motor controlling the length of the buffer wire 410. Also, the control signal may be a control signal relating to the photographing of the camera mounted on the camera tray.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, an operation of the non-vibrating gimbals device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an installation of an anti-vibration gimbal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention in an unmanned aerial vehicle. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a non-vibrating gimbals device according to an embodiment of the present invention installed and flying on a unmanned air vehicle, wherein (a) is a case where the unmanned air vehicle is flying normally, and (b) (C) is the case where the unmanned aerial vehicle completes the dive flight. FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a state in which an anti-vibration gimbal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on an unmanned aerial vehicle to complete a flight and land on land.

First, the user mounts the anti-vibration gimbal device 10 on the drones. At this time, the angle formed by the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520 is appropriately set. For example, 120 degrees. Then, the wire pulley is wound or loosened to adjust the tension so that the buffer wire is stretched.

Then, the drones on which the non-vibration gimbishing device 10 is mounted are caused to fly.

As described above, the angle of the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520 can be set manually or by inputting into the remote control unit 700 before flying the drones, but on the other hand, After the non-vibrating gimbal apparatus 10 is mounted, a dron may be flown, and a control signal may be inputted to the remote controller 700 to set the angles of the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520. (See Fig. 5)

When the dron equipped with the non-vibration gimbal device 10 is flying, the camera mounted on the non-vibration gimbal device 10 performs image shooting. At this time, the image capturing is controlled by the control signal of the remote controller 700.

During shooting of the image, when the position of the dron is changed by a sudden drop of the drones or a sudden acceleration, or when the position of the dron suddenly changes due to the turbulence, the vibration occurs due to the change of the flying state of the drones.

The vibration generated by the drone is transmitted to the vibration-free gimbals device 10 suspended at the lower portion of the drones. At this time, a part of the transmitted vibration is absorbed and alleviated by the buffer member 300 formed between the support plate 100 and the buffer bridge 200. That is, the buffer member 300 itself swings to absorb the vibration of the buffer bridge 200.

Then, the excess vibration not absorbed is absorbed by the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520 to be relaxed. That is, the extra vibration is transmitted to the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520 through the connection wire 420 connected to the buffer bridge 200, and the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer And collapses and expands according to the connection structure of the arm 520 to absorb the extra vibration. At this time, the buffer wire 410 temporarily loosens and gradually becomes taut, restoring the original tension, and the influence of vibration on the camera mounted on the camera tray 600 is minimized. (See Fig. 6)

In addition, if there is extra vibration not absorbed by the first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520, the vibration changes the shooting angle of the camera mounted on the camera tray 600 , The camera balance maintaining module 620 senses this change value and corrects the camera mount plate 610 to maintain the camera level.

When the length of the cushioning wire 410 is minimized by controlling the length of the wire pulley 400 through the remote controller 700 when the drones are landed on the land, The first buffer arm 510 and the second buffer arm 520 connected to the drones D are collapsed and can be safely landed by the landing gear L provided on the drones D. [ (See Fig. 7)

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The present invention can be variously modified and changed by those skilled in the art, and it is also within the scope of the present invention.

100: support plate 200: buffer bridge
300: buffer member 400: wire pulley
410: buffer wire 510: first buffer arm
520: second buffer arm 600: camera tray
700: remote control

Claims (5)

A support plate having a through hole formed therein;
At least one buffer bridge formed on the support plate;
A buffer member formed between the support plate and the buffer bridge;
A wire pulley connected to the buffer bridge and disposed at a lower portion of the support plate through the through hole;
A first buffer arm rotatably connected to the wire pulley;
A second buffer arm rotatably coupled to the first buffer arm;
A support arm formed to be rotatable with the second buffer arm;
A buffer wire connected to the first buffer arm and the second buffer arm and having a length adjusted by the wire pulley; And
And a camera tray
Wherein the gimbal assembly is mounted on a vehicle.
2. The cushioning device of claim 1,
And a coupling hole for coupling the coupling wire to be connected to the wire pulley is formed in the center of the gimbal assembly.
The camera according to claim 1,
A camera mount plate on which a camera is mounted,
And a camera balance maintaining module for maintaining the balance of the camera mount plate.
The camera balance maintaining module according to claim 3,
A gyro sensor for sensing an axial movement displacement of the camera mount plate,
And a horizontal holding unit for calculating a correction value for maintaining the horizontal position of the camera mount plate from the sensed value of the gyro sensor and controlling the motor according to the calculated correction value to maintain the camera mount plate horizontally Vibration gimbal device for image capture.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Further comprising a remote controller for transmitting a control signal to the non-vibrating gimbals device through wireless communication to control the operation of the non-vibrating gimbals device.

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