How to Make a Homemade 3-Axis Gimbal for Your Smartphone

In today's world of content creation, stable footage is key. Whether you are capturing a breathtaking sunset, an energetic dance, or a travel vlog, shaky videos can ruin your audience's experience. This is where a 3-axis gimbal comes into play. However, purchasing a professional-grade gimbal can be pricey. Fear not! In this guide, we will show you how to create a homemade 3-axis smartphone gimbal that is both affordable and easy to make.

Understanding the Basics of a 3-Axis Gimbal

A 3-axis gimbal stabilizer minimizes unwanted movements of your smartphone, providing you with smooth and stable videos. It typically has three main axes—pitch, yaw, and roll—that control how the smartphone moves while capturing footage. Now, let’s explore how to create your own gimbal using materials you may already have around your house.

Materials Needed

• 1x old smartphone (preferably one with a good camera)
• 3x potentiometers (10kΩ)
• 3x hobby servos (standard size)
• 1x microcontroller (Arduino Nano or similar)
• 1x power bank or battery pack
• Wires and connectors
• Wood or plastic frame (can be made from discarded materials)
• Hot glue or screws
• 3D printer (optional, for creating custom parts)

Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Gimbal

Step 1: Frame Construction

Your gimbal's frame is crucial for its stability and effectiveness. Use wood or plastic to create a base where your smartphone will sit securely. The dimensions should be approximately 5 inches wide and 7 inches long, depending on the size of your smartphone. Cut out two vertical supports that will hold the smartphone and allow for movement.

Step 2: Setting Up the Motors

Take the three hobby servos and mount them onto the frame. Each servo will correspond to one axis of movement. Secure the servos using screws or hot glue, ensuring they are solidly in place. The pitch servo should be at the front to tilt the smartphone up or down, the roll servo should be mounted at the side for side-to-side movement, and the yaw servo on the back for spinning the smartphone.

Step 3: Integrating the Potentiometers

Potentiometers are used to determine the angle of the gimbal. Attach each of the three potentiometers to the frame so that they can rotate freely. Make sure they are connected to the servos so that adjustments in angle translate into movements.

Step 4: Wiring It Up

Now it’s time to wire everything to the microcontroller. Using a breadboard, connect the potentiometers and hobby servos to the Arduino Nano. Each potentiometer will need to be connected to an analog pin, while each servo goes into a PWM pin. Make sure to adhere to the Arduino wiring diagram for correct connections!

Step 5: Coding the Microcontroller

Download the Arduino IDE and write a code snippet to read the potentiometer values and adjust the servos accordingly. Below is an example snippet:

    #include 
    
    Servo pitchServo;
    Servo rollServo;
    Servo yawServo;
    
    void setup() {
        pitchServo.attach(9); // Adjust based on your wiring
        rollServo.attach(10);
        yawServo.attach(11);
    }
    
    void loop() {
        int pitchValue = analogRead(A0); // Read pitch potentiometer
        int rollValue = analogRead(A1); // Read roll potentiometer
        int yawValue = analogRead(A2); // Read yaw potentiometer

        pitchServo.write(map(pitchValue, 0, 1023, 0, 180));
        rollServo.write(map(rollValue, 0, 1023, 0, 180));
        yawServo.write(map(yawValue, 0, 1023, 0, 180));

        delay(10); // Short delay to prevent overloading
    }
    

Step 6: Powering the Gimbal

Use a power bank or battery pack to power your gimbal. Ensure that all components are connected correctly, and check if the servos are rotating as programmed.

Tuning and Balancing the Gimbal

Once assembled, it’s crucial to balance your gimbal. Place your smartphone onto the gimbal and adjust the frame until it remains steady when released. This step is vital to ensure that the motors do not work overtime, which can lead to overheating and burnout.

Testing Your Homemade Gimbal

With everything in place and balanced, it’s time to test your gimbal. Take it out for a spin! Trial and error are your friends here. Start with simple movements, record some video footage, and evaluate the footage to understand how your gimbal is performing. Make adjustments as needed, which might involve tinkering with your code or tweaking the balance further.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Gimbal

• Keep it light: Ensure to use lighter smartphones or equipment to make balancing easier.
• Practice smooth movements: When filming, move the gimbal slowly and steadily to maintain optimal stabilization.
• Check your settings: Explore your smartphone’s camera settings for the best quality results.

Final Thoughts

Building a homemade 3-axis gimbal for your smartphone can be a rewarding project that enhances your content creation capabilities. Not only does it save you money, but it also provides you with hands-on experience in DIY electronics and coding. With steady footage, your videos can reach new heights, both in quality and audience engagement. Happy filming!