Kite Aerial Photography: Camera Rigs

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2002: first steps

Whilst interested in the restoration of the Scottish Lowland Canals, I noted that at many of the opening events a company called Hawkeye provided unusual photographs from odd angles. So could I do this too?

Kite's seemed the cheapest deployment vehicle, so I started with my son's toy kite. I persuaded a friend to let me borrow a AIPTEK Pencam, 352x288 pixels! At just under 2oz, with a 80 picture memory, it was a start. I added some circuitry inside so it took a picture every 5 seconds automatically . Biggest problem is the images need to be uploaded to a PC before the battery dies!

The re-assembled camera (with link to enable the timer) was hung from the kite line and took its first images on 6th September 2002, just outside South Queensferry, UK, a rather unstable start but I had caught the bug!

The rig, this time below a Flowform 16, took its best picture on the 3rd January 2003, in the snow, at ancient burial site Cairnpapple Hill.
2003: first remote controlled rig

The first reaction to success with Rig01 was to build a radio controlled rig, not realising they are actually complimentary. The rig is based on the Nikon 775, an acceptable 2Mpixel offering for its time. Key parts:

Standard servo motors and RC system from Micron, from their discontinued self-build range, allowed the transmitter to be re-packaged for KAP rather than RC.

VIdeo downlink from VideoLynx. This "Ham Radio" solution has been overtaken by availablity of 2.4G systems, but it does provide a good picture receivable on a standard pocket TV.

Pan servo extended to 360degrees by external gearing (orange and green gears at top of rig), rather than the more modern "continuous rotation" servo.

The rig worked well for 2003 and 2004, but the camera doesn't have Av mode making it difficult to get the shutter speed high enough, and there were problems of interference between the RC system and the video TX.

There are full details of the construction of this rig.
2003: improved Pencam...

Despite it's low resolution the Pencam used in Rig01 was good for low wind, so when I was asked to return the borrowed camera I replaced it with it's 640x480pixel big brother.

There was more space inside the case which allowed a improved modification including a variable timer (white rectangle at top) and a small switch (bottom- left of USB housing) to enable its operation. Another improvement was an improved suspension for better stability.

The camera did however have the same drawback as its predecessor, switch-off the camera and you loose all your pictures, which meant a Laptop was required to download images in-the-field.

Never the "main" camera, but an easy-to-pack addition to the KAP equipment for some fun shots or the opportunity to get some images in low-wind.
2004: a rig too far...

Following the basic recipe used in Rig02 this rig built on that experience. First the Pentax 550 was selected based on quality, weight and the IR remote shutter release. Then I added lots of "nice features".

A complex controller was designed (lime image) to add features like an altimeter, data logger, temperature monitor, and low battery indicator. All this data was relayed to the ground as well as being recorded for review later (orange image - memory card, and white height chart). Much of this was all for a bit of fun in design rather than useful when KAPing!

Rig02 had suffered from interference and desensing between RC receiver and video transmitter. A large number of field trials were undertaken that optimised the design to minimise EMC.

This represents the height of bells & whistles. Rig design after this would start to get simpler and more plug-n-play. The objective is to take pictures.

There are full details of the construction of this rig.
2004: fisheye lesson learned!

When building Rig04 I had failed to find one suitable camera that could do both normal and fisheye photography. So to try and get into panoramic photography I tried to save money by buying a second-hand Pelang lens as a starting point.

The idea was to use it with a M42 ring and my existing Olympus OM1 / motor wind but on delivery it wouldn't all fit in the throat of the camera! A purchase of a second-hand Canon EoS didn't help much either, but a Canon T50 did work (and had a built in motor drive making it lighter). I'd now spend more money than anticipated, and had almost forgotten that low cost was the original goal! To end the sorry tale a test film in the T50 revealed the lens to have a strange yellow chromatic aberration.

The rig was completed (as shown above) including a RC shutter release using the cameras external shutter release plug, but the rig never flew. I could have bought another lens but I felt I had spent enough time and money. Inexorably digital solutions were becoming more affordable, there was a better way to do this, Rig06.
2005: finally a fisheye...

I spent so much time on Rig05, that when I re-grouped the Nikon 4300's 4Mpixel was out of fashion and cheap on the second hand market. I added a UR-E4 ring and a FC-E8 Fisheye lens and I was in business!

Fortunately the Nikon 4300 can be remote controlled via a serial port (shared with the USB) so I designed a remote control based on a keyfob transmitter (yellow, bottom left). A completely new rig was designed, no servo control or video downlink is required with a fisheye lens.

Within a year of starting to use this, and memory card prices plummeting, I started using the electronics differently, as an intervalometer - just take a picture every 10 seconds. Who cares if you generate lots of un-interesting images as long as you don't run out of memory?

With camera (238g), Fisheye (210g), and total weight of 590g even 5 years later this is still by far the lightest full fisheye camera. Although only 4Mpixel, its better than nothing if you have light winds and no other options.
2006: better and bigger fisheye...

Keen to continue experiments with Virtual Reality after successes with Rig06 I invested in a Nikon 8400 and its bigger FC-09 fisheye lens.

Even keeping the rig to an absolute minimum the all up weight is just over 1200g (2.7lb), Rig06 would still be used for lighter winds. Fortunately this camera can be easily remote controlled with a gentLED-AUTO, the black-box you can see attached to the adapter tube.

The FC-09 fisheye offers superior optical performance over the FC-08 but if you use the camera set-up it doesn't illuminate the whole sensor. After considerable work a set of manual camera settings were found that maximised lit pixels at the expense of low light performance - not a concern when flying outside. I also underexpose by 0.7-1.0EV to prevent highlight blow-out on the less capable 2005 vintage sensor.

This is still my main fisheye rig 5 years later. The only credible upgrade is to goto a dSLR with Sigma 4mm lens, but with a >$1500 price it's a lot of investment for a marginal improvement in quality and no drop in weight.
2006: 1 camera, 2 rigs

After purchasing the Nikon 8400 for Rig07 this rig was designed to replace the 5Mpixel Pentax 550 Rig04 with the Nikon's 8Mpixel capability.

Although a heavier camera, the rig uses many parts from Rig04 so it was possible too have either camera mounted. The bottom bracket was re-made with mounting for both cameras. Despite different manufacturers the shared IR shutter release & video connectors made camera changeover relatively easy.

In the new set-up the Pentax 550 was slightly un-balanced but that was worth the hassle for the flexibility offered. Many of the more complex electronic options on Rig04 (altimeter, logger, etc) were dropped in an attempt to simplify design.

Starting at the top the external geared pan servo connects to the suspension. Left to the white RC receiver (aerial out of shot) and below it the tilt servo. Under the camera is the 5V to 12V PSU (left) which powers the video downlink (right), with the video aerial out of shot on the right.
2007: off the shelf...

After selecting the Ricoh GX100 as my next camera I also decided to re-build the rig from scratch, demonstrating what could be achieved using the excellent kits available from brooxes and kapshop. The black anodised parts are well designed and modular, providing excellent building blocks for rigs.

In addition I took the opportunity of advances in technology to refresh the RC receiver (Micron) for a much lighter model and Video transmitter (kapshop) from the Ham Radio band to the much more accepted 2.4G band. These units are lighter and work from 5V removing the need for either 12V batteries or a 5 to 12V voltage converter.

The pan servo was changed for a "continous rotation" model with antiCREEP and 5:1 gearing. Shutter release used the gentWIRE-USB for Ricoh.

The rig worked well. Biggest disadvantage was the ground video receiver now consists of a cumbersome receiver and monitor 2 box solution. Previously an easier to manage 1 box "Pocket TV" was used.
2008: keeping it simple...

The Ricoh GX-100 also neatly fits brooxes BEAK (also from kapshop) for an alternate portrait KAP rig. This lightweight rig uses brooxes metalwork parts, a single continuous servo motor and the clickPAN-USB for Ricoh to control the rig. Every 5seconds it takes a picture then moves around 20-30degrees.

With large memory cards the camera can stay up for an hour, and the fun is in finding the good images from the 1000s shot. Counter intuitively despite no video downlink or operator shutter release its amazing what results this 408g all-up rig can produce.

In addition the DW-6 wide angle converter can be added for a 19mm effective lens as shown on the left (This can also be used on Rig09). Great shots for a 529g weight total).

Using this combination, and with some very stable wind, it is possible to make a VR bubble panorama out of 15-16 separate images. It takes a little perseverance flying and skill stitching but Cairnpapple Hill produced the goods in November 2008.
2010: back to the start...

The original Rig01 was lightweight, and continued to be used when other rigs were built as a low-wind fun alternative. What is available for use as a low-weight camera in 2010 could only have been dreamed about in 2002.

The GoPro HD HERO weighs in at 3.3oz (94g) and even as shown opposite in its waterproof housing, picavet cross and lacing, its under 8oz all-up. It takes full HD video or 5Mpixel stills with a built-in intervalometer. Great capability in a small package!

The fisheye lens gives the images a recognisable signature, but none the less this form of lightweight, automatic, KAP has its place to play either as a light-wind camera or as a second camera on the line.

Never the "main" camera, but an easy-to-pack addition to the KAP equipment for some fun shots.

Rig design by Peter Bults.
2011: Rig-reuse...

Just as the Ricoh GX-100 neatly fit brooxes BEAK (also from kapshop) so does the Sony NEX-5. This lightweight rig uses brooxes metalwork parts, a single continuous servo motor and the clickPAN-IR for Ricoh to control the rig. Every 5seconds it takes a picture then moves around 20-30degrees.

With large memory cards the camera can stay up for an hour, and the fun is in finding the good images from the 1000s shot. Counter intuitively despite no video downlink or operator shutter release its amazing what can be produced.
2011: Fisheye fun...
...unlucky for some!

During 2011 various rigs were ground and flight tested using various camera and fisheye lens combination. Each used servos to try to make one expensive lens and camera cover the ground as quickly as possibly - before the rig moved significantly.

None of the ideas achieved what the older rigs achieved - a guaranteed result every flight. Even over the 3-6seconds taken to capture images a KAP system can move significantly far enough to make image stitching challenging!
2012: Four-eye fun...

So maybe we've been spoilt with the old Nikon FC-08 and FC-09 lenses with nearly 190° field of view, and their ability to take one-shot panoramas. A different tack from rotating or swinging cameras is to use multiple cameras - syncronised.

This is a prototype rig designed to prove the concept, using four GoPro HERO2 camera, syncronised by four gentWIRE-HERO. Experiments at the start of 2012 gave very encouraging high resolution results, the resulting panorama moves from 4400 x 2200 pixels with Rig07 to 12000 x 6000 pixels, enough to progress the concept further.