Ideas to build a motorised tripod dolly.

[axle01]

Looking to make a motorised dolly to mount a camera for time and hyper lapse videos.

I'm going to use the Cognisys Rotary Table in the link (below) to mount to the drive wheel.

I also have the controller

https://www.cognisys-inc.com/store/rotary-table.html

It should have enough power to drive a dolly with a tripod and camera, in fact it is possible to stand on the rotary table and have it spin you in a circle.

Just looking for ideas and thoughts on building it, I have machining and mechanical facilities.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Alan

[axle01]

Update,,,,,half finished but hit a snag, I ordered a second rotary table from Cosnisys but after 3 weeks it hasn't arrived so I contacted them and after an investigation they found the freight company sent it via China,,,,,,,why,,,,who knows,,,,,,,put me behind a bit but I am happy with what I've built so far.

Yeah yeah I know "this thread is useless without photos" well there'll be no photos till I'm finished.

Alan

[martycon]

G'day Allan, your project sounds interesting. I am a DIY bloke with engineering background and would love to help, but have no idea what you want to do. I presume it is considerably more sophisticated than just a rotating table on which to stand a tripod. What frame rate does hyper lapse require.

[axle01]

Marty this is as far as I got, I'm still waiting for my machinist to mount the wheel hub to the second Rotary Table.

The camera sits on the Cognisys Rotary Table which allows it to pan.

The front (unmounted) tyre you can see will go on the drive hub that my machinist is working on (for 3 bloody weeks now)

The front drive motor/wheel and the panning stepper motor is then connected to a Cognisys controller that when programed will ''move shoot move shoot'' and also ''pan/move/shoot''.

Frame rate is much the same as timelapse but from what I'm led to believe hyperlapse is when the camera is moving closer and closer to a subject, so then I would only use the drive motor and the panning motor would be fixed straight ahead.

Power supply is the 12v battery and i'll have a 12v to 7.5v step down converter to power the camera.

Close look at the uprights you'll see I can unscrew the wing nuts and take the tripod off and fold it up and it'll all fit in the car boot.



http://i66.tinypic.com/do3o8i.jpg



http://i64.tinypic.com/2ewf9yq.jpg



http://i66.tinypic.com/nfsby1.jpg

Alan

- - - Updated - - -


G'day Allan, your project sounds interesting. I am a DIY bloke with engineering background and would love to help, but have no idea what you want to do. I presume it is considerably more sophisticated than just a rotating table on which to stand a tripod. What frame rate does hyper lapse require.

Just noticed you are at Bucasia, what a beautiful spot, I lived in Mackay for my first 30 odd years and we holidayed at Eimeo every year and would walk across the creek at low tide to get to Bucasia

[martycon]

I have often contemplated walking across the creek for a beer at the Eimeo Pub, but then reality kicks in. I will tend to be having just one more for the creek, and hen be faced with a very long round trip home, after the tide has risen. Meanwhile back at the factory much has been revealed. First thought, remove front inclined strut and two triangles could fold, but you will have thought of that already. Is the front driving wheel to be steerable, or fixed adjustable, to travel a curved path? You have pretty well got it sorted out at this stage. I presume the travel surface will be smooth, otherwise the slender struts may vibrate enough to cause camera shake.
I can not imagine what your subjects may be, but I am sure they will result in a weird, spectacular, or both, video. I look forward to seeing it.
cheers marty.

[axle01]

Yeah a long walk for another beer.
You'd be supprised how sturdy the triangle is, and is removeable and foldable.
I'm working on a turntable to manually steer it in between shutter shots.
Machinist finally finished the drive wheel today.
Updates next week.

Al

[axle01]

Nearly finished this thingy, just gotta strip it, buff the welds, paint it, assemble it, connect the controller and hopefully it works.

http://i64.tinypic.com/14lu07m.jpg

http://i65.tinypic.com/2j366gj.jpg

http://i67.tinypic.com/jtwfwm.jpg

http://i63.tinypic.com/4t0bqv.jpg

Alan

[martycon]

The welding looks quite tidy, so I have good vibes about the project's output.
cheers marty.

[axle01]

Thanks Marty, i'm working on another time-lapse buggy which will be closer to the ground and fully automated.

Al

[tandeejay]

If your considering power-coating it when it is finished, don't use any fillers anywhere. Several people I know have done welding projects and then used fillers, and then taken their project to the powder coaters only to be told that because of the fillers, their project can't be powder coated.

[axle01]

No powder coating John but I'll paint it.

Al

[axle01]

Stripped buffed painted now starting to assemble.



http://i66.tinypic.com/b65w7b.jpg

http://i66.tinypic.com/k20gas.jpg



Al