AFRL and MDA Transfer Composite Gimbal Technology to HDTV Camera Systems

Applications

• Military and Commercial Significance:
• Sequoia Technologies, an Albuquerque (New Mexico) small business, developed advanced isolation and control technologies under Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts in partnership with AFRL and MDA. Despite the resource limitations of a Phase I contract, the new technology proved its exciting potential through a successful transition to industry.
• The Ford Field (Detroit, Michigan) first used the gimbal technology as a camera mount for its NFL football game on Thanksgiving Day, 2004. The gimbal (with camera) is suspended over the field via cables, which retract or extend to reposition the gimbal anywhere over the field. Remote operators use the system to guide the camera to viewing angles that traditional camera locations cannot achieve. The gimbal’s built-in Sequoia stabilization technology enables the moving camera to film and track the action unimpeded by vibration.
• Scientists combined the resulting technology advances from these SBIR efforts to provide the composite structure, drive technology, control systems, and electronics needed to develop an advanced gimbal product for commercial use. The design is lighter and more compact, has a higher performance, and is more cost-effective than any competitive products on the market. The system can stabilize a 2-megapixel high-definition camera with telephoto capabilities on a suspended cable system while the camera moves at speeds over 30 mph.
• The AFRL- and MDA-funded efforts developed for the torque actuation and sensing system (TASS) are also applicable to the AFRL Demonstration and Science Experiment (DSX), Airborne Laser, and Space Tracking and Surveillance System programs. The high-performance stabilization TASS requires the significant technology advances in remote interfaces for all functions, onboard processing, and thermal and environmental protection. The Sequoia Phase I SBIR efforts established the feasibility of the technical approach. The remote interface communications and results from the off-axis drives in the NFL camera systems play directly into the TASS design for on-orbit demonstration on DSX. Sequoia is also discussing other space applications with MDA and Raytheon.