Final Prints

Final Prints & Assembly! 

Next step is to work on software....originally the plan was to use extended mode and a iPi recorder software to use both identical cameras simultaneously, but since extended mode has been phased out in the latest software release and the previous versions no longer have server support, I'm currently looking for new plans.

Arduino

After some testing, managed to get the servos responding to the Arduino controller, and able to control them using a simple thumbstick to control two degrees of freedom.

Second Part

Second part is printed! Managed to get the pitch arm printed after several tries, encountering issues with our 3D printer.  After tweaking the printer settings (deck temperature and extruder temperature).

The servos fit the parts very well thanks to the found CAD for the Futaba servos!

Servos & Electronics Purchased

Servos chosen for this project are Futaba S3003 Standard Servos purchased through Amazon!

Servo is a simple three pin actuator with an approximately 160 degree range (comfortably), loses some power towards the ends of the spectrum.  Servos cost ~$8 each, keeping me well within budget. Control solution is to use an Arduino Uno interfaced with the source desktop via USB, with power supplied by a separate 6V source so as to not overload the Arduino circuits.

First Print!

After winter break and exams, managed to get the first part printed! Started with the base which has some of the simplest architecture.

Slight CAD changes to make the print more functional.  The part is designed to hold a servo and route the wires out without causing significant stress on the main connections. 

CAD Design

CAD Design finished!  Incorporating the origin-centric design, having the camera rotate around a fixed point instead of a neck point.

Parts were designed in SolidWorks 2015 with 3D printing in mind, keeping rounded parts in the flat plane as much as possible to reduce resolution loss when printing with a larger step (0.4mm).

Mechanics of Head Movement

So I'm continuing my research and planning prior to any design and purchases, and one of the more interesting issues I've come across is methods of simulating head movement.

Initially, my plan was to create a simple gimbal that would rotate the dual-cameras around the "origin", keeping them relatively fixed.  As I continued with this train of thought, I realized that this is not how our eyes move relative to our heads. Our head moves relative to our neck, and our eyes are at a fixed distance from the "center" of our heads and a fixed height from our necks. If you look around now, you'll realize that our "origin of view" is not fixed as we sometimes imagine it to be. It moves in an arc at a fixed radius.

The real question to consider here is how much this difference in movement will affect comfort when using the camera.  Abnormal movement might contribute to an "out of body" feeling, if our origin of view does not change as we turn our heads like we are used to.  Depending on time and funds available, I hope to investigate both.

After some brief thought, I have come up with these three options....

Camera Rig Sketches, P - Pitch servo, R - Roll servo, Y - Yaw servo

Option 1 was an original prototype for the "natural view" solution, rotation around the base, pitching from the center, and rolling at the cameras.

Option 2 gives the most realistic interpretation of the rotation about the neck, where the origin of pitch is not located below the eyes (close to where the neck should be).  The angle of pitch, measured between the origin and point of cameras, is not in line with the direction of the cameras, which is more representative of how our eyes are oriented.

Option 3 is my original design, a simple horse shoe support to prevent vibration, wobble, or overshoot which would lead to discomfort.  In this setup, the cameras revolve around the center, marked by the "R" or "Roll" servo.

Will update with more details to come, wanted to get this down as I thought about it!