How Does a Drone Gimbal Work?

How Does a Drone Gimbal Work?

If you’ve ever seen a high-quality drone video or photograph, it was likely shot with the help of one of the most important pieces of technology that go into these unmanned aerial vehicles – a drone gimbal.drone gimbal This is what allows drones to take steady and clear photos and videos despite moving in flight, and without them, it would be impossible for professional or hobbyists alike to achieve such crystal-clear footage. So what is a drone gimbal exactly, and how does it work?

The most basic drone gimbal looks like a camera holder on a stand with three motors that work together to keep the assembly level and vibration free.drone gimbal It is designed to support a camera (usually a GoPro or similar brand) that can be mounted to it – or in some cases the gimbal itself comes with a built-in camera as is often the case with DJI drones and similar consumer models.

Behind the scenes, however, is a system of sophisticated motion detecting technologies that makes all of this possible – many of the same types of technologies that you see in your smart phone and video game controllers. These micro-machined electro-mechanical devices are often called MEMS - Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems and can include accelerometers, gyroscopes and inertial measurement units. They work by converting mechanical force into electrical signals that are sent to the “brain” of the gimbal (a small computer board with built-in software created by the gimbal manufacturer).

A MEMS chip is similar to a tiny pair of hands in that it has little levers and wheels that are pushed by g-forces – the movement of your drone, the wind and so on – and then sends those electrical signals back to the gimbal controller, telling it how much mechanical force is being applied and which direction it is being applied in. This information is then used to send commands to the three brushless motors within the gimbal, stabilizing the camera in its holder and preventing it from vibrating or shaking when the drone moves around.

As you can imagine, this is a complex process and one that was only made possible by the advent of MEMS chips and the advanced computer technology that powers them. This is what makes it possible for even amateurs to get such stunning drone shots – and it is what allows professionals to use their drones for cinematic and promotional purposes - as well as for industrial applications such as bridge inspection and wind turbine maintenance.

Gremsy’s Two-Axis Mio Gimbal is ideal for this type of application and can be easily mounted to a range of different commercial and industrial drones, including the Teledyne FLIR Hadron dual-camera system for thermal and visible imaging. It also supports front-mounting, providing OEMs and systems integrators with a simple plug-and-play solution that can be customized for their specific requirements.

The gimbal is available with a variety of damping accessories to match different operating environments, and we can custom-engineer an entirely new damping system for users who need something more unique. To find out more about how a MIO gimbal can be used with your drone or to request pricing information, please contact us.

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