Experimental Verification of Three-Degree-of-Freedom Electromagnetic Actuator for Image Stabilization

Sensors (Basel). 2020 Apr 27;20(9):2485. doi: 10.3390/s20092485.

Abstract

Image deteriorations due to vibrations have become a problem in autonomous systems such as unmanned aerial vehicles, robots, and autonomous cars. To suppress the vibration, a camera stabilizer using a gimbal mechanism is widely used. However, the size and weight of the system increase because the conventional image stabilization systems require some actuators and links to drive in multi-axes. In order to solve these problems, we proposed a novel three-degree-of-freedom (3DOF) electromagnetic actuator for image stabilization. The actuator can be driven by only three-phase and has a simple structure and control system. This paper describes the experimental verification of the proposed actuator. The torque characteristics are clarified, and the analysis and measured torque characteristics are compared to verify the analysis validity. For verifying the dynamic performance, the frequency characteristics are measured. The effectiveness of the proposed magnetic structure and operating principle are investigated.

Keywords: electromagnetic actuator; image stabilization; multiple-degree-of-freedom mechanism; three-degree-of-freedom actuator.