Inspire 2 grounded (purposely) ...

Dobmatt · Apr 13, 2019

Donnie Frank said:
Is the operation smooth enough for dolly shots on say asphalt or a typical sidewalk? Is that what you envisioned for this rig? My mind went straight to "car chase," but just curious what your original intentions are for this rig? Or maybe you designed this for interior shots? Have you used it yet? Has it lived up to its expectations? Any design changes for the future? I know nothing beats field testing. I live by it.

Peripheral benefit not discussed: Without motors spinning, I bet the Inspire batteries last over an hour, yes?

Apologies for all the questions, but this is a very interesting rig.

D

On asphalt or sidewalk surface the footage is silky smooth even at speeds ranging 50-60 km/hr. Car chasing will be the obvious application. Another use - with Inspire elevated by landing gear in down position - is for interior or any footage at paced speeds. But that's not what I'm after. I'm hoping to get decent footage riding this rig on rougher surfaces, dirt roads, forest floor, pastures, hiking trails etc. Demo footage is in the process of assembly, but I can tell you already that it exceeds my expectations. Batteries are good for hours, can't really tell. Other than painting black I wouldn't change a thing ... Demo "coming soon" ...

whimike · Apr 13, 2019

Very cool!!

Any concern, even with the steps taken, of the impact of jolts and bumps on the airframe and gimbal? The instantaneous g-forces applied to the Inspire 2 will be far greater on the ground in such an application (i.e. at speed off-road or going over a bump in the road/curb) than in the air.

Dobmatt · Apr 13, 2019

Well, it is what it is ...

Dobmatt · Apr 13, 2019

whimike said:
Very cool!!

Any concern, even with the steps taken, of the impact of jolts and bumps on the airframe and gimbal? The instantaneous g-forces applied to the Inspire 2 will be far greater on the ground in such an application (i.e. at speed off-road or going over a bump in the road/curb) than in the air.

You wouldn't believe how tough Inspire's frame is ... But steel rope suspension it taking care of even the most brutal bumps, absorbing and dispersing them efficiently. The gimbal itself is not exposed to abuse greater than during flight. Once I've filmed gimbal behaviour in moderately windy conditions, and this thing is bouncing all the way silicone balls allow. Naturally no sane operator will bash this vehicle the way RC car racers do normally ... On a demo video I've allowed myself to go a bit over the top sometimes just to demonstrate the efficiency of suspension, but - of course - that's not what I'll do routinely on rough surface ...

Steve@AerialImagesPro · Apr 15, 2019

Great job! Wondering though if the OSMO would be a better platform? That would also raise the camera to the top AND give you a 360 view?

Dobmatt · Apr 15, 2019

Steve@AerialImagesPro said:
Great job! Wondering though if the OSMO would be a better platform? That would also raise the camera to the top AND give you a 360 view?

Definitely yes. Original concept employs Osmo Pro with X5 camera gimbal, but this device doesn't satisfy my video quality expectations anymore. Handheld camera for X5S/X7 gimbal remains a wishful thinking, so for now it is what it is ...