DIY Image Stabilizer
A crafty Instructables users has figured out that by using a pair of spining hard drives you can create the same gyroscopic effect that the pros use to keep their cameras nice and steady. A camera stabilizer is perfect for taking those steady shots when your conditions might be less than favorable for doing so, like driving in a car or running (think paparazzi).
Although I wouldn’t say this is a beginners project, it’s not too hard to pull off and your materials list can probably already be found around your house.
- Needed: 2 discarded harddisks (HDs)
- Some old discarded computer, or parts
- The part in the old computer which holds floppies en HDs at a 90 degree angle…
- A wooden box or plywood etc..
- A hand grip
- One or two strips of aluminum
- A camera screw
- 3 or 4 car USB phone chargers
- A 12 V power source (lead acid cell, a discarded NiCd cell, or (rechargeable) batteries)
- Some rubber washers and a piece of inner tire
- Contact glue
A little bit of soldering experience, some free time and $50 in parts you too can build yourself this image stabilizer. Just remember, if you plan a career change and decide to become a paparazzi, everyone else around you will give you some weird looks if you run around with this thing.
[Link to Gyro Image Stabilizer]
Frank's the editor in chief of tech.nocr.at. He can be found surfing the internet and playing with gadgets. Follow him on twitter @franklinhares
