Greetings All ...
In the days to come, I will be attempting to configure three stepper motors to work independently to drive a camera slider, controlling the lateral / horizontal movement as well as Tilt and Pan (Pitch and Yaw) motions.
I've been working with gear motors for a little while and have made quality decisions concerning slider frame, materials, etc. But gear motors are limited. And let's face it - stepper motors are sexier.
As a description of how the slider would work, I'll provide a little narrative:
Initially, the horizontal movement would be triggered. The slider would be typically used to capture timelapse events. So more often than not, movement would be very slow. As the horizontal movement progresses, the tilt and pan movements would initiate. The combination of movements would be determined by the subject. So, the sun rising over a flat landscape would be lots of horizontal movement, with only a little pan and tilt movement. Capturing the moon rising over a city while tracking the vertical height of a skyscraper would be less horizontal movement with more tilt and pan movement.
The stepper motors would have to be able to work independently, and their independent actions would have to be completely customizable, as all subjects would require different techniques.
My first question is:
Is this possible?
I ask that after having scanned the forum and determined that yes, it likely is. But it would be nice hearing that in the way of an official response.
Next, what kind of controller would I need? Note that I have Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, and a ELGOO UNO Starter Kit that my wife bought me for Christmas.
Next, what else would I need?
Finally, questions about stepper motors and transmission techniques:
The horizontal, pan and tilt movements won't require a lot of power / torque because everything will be mounted on low-friction linear rails and rail slides. But at some point, I'm going to want to try vertical movement. So I'll need a stepper motor and method of transmission (preferably timing belt) that can lift upwards of 10 to 15 lbs. slowly, steadily and reliably.
In addition to slow movement required for timelapse capture, I will also occasionally want to set the motion to be faster, allowing the slider platform to traverse a six-foot track in a few seconds. So I'd want flexibility where speed is concerned.
Note that I have also looked into drive chains and ball screws.
That about sums up the adventure.
Thoughts?
Sincerely ...
Stephen McDowell
