Stabilization of a spotlight

Projects Discussion and Showcase Product Design
1

Hello:
I am looking for some guidance or recommendations for making an Arduino-controlled spotlight. I envision using a joystick to control servos that control the direction that the light is pointing.

After achieving this I envision adding some kind of IMU module or accelerometer input to keep the light pointing in a fixed direction, despite any changes in the location of the light itself (as would be the case on a moving vehicle).

Would anyone recommend the path I should start my journey on, in particular the kind of IMU or accelerometer that I should use?

I thank you for your constructive criticisms and ideas!

Don

2

LOTS of choices, here is a single page from SparkFun
https://www.sparkfun.com/categories/160
I don;t use any of these as I don;t like their connectors, expensive and bulky but it came up first in google.

3

That is quite a difficult challenge for off the shelf IMUs and DIY construction, involving advanced programming and construction techniques.

You might start by looking at commercial motion stabilization gimbals for cameras, as the prices are brought way down by mass production.

4

I see, but don’t RC aircraft use similar methods and techniques to stabilize their flight?

5

Yes, and the code is open source, so check the ArduPilot site to see what that entails.

You would have to derive and add suitable coordinate system transformations so that the spotlight aim could be changed by the joystick, as well as to account for changes in spotlight base orientation and motion.

6

Thank you !!!