The Jockey Motion 4-Axis Gimbal offers a game-changing 4-axis technology which stabilizes the vertical axis, a critical deficiency of traditional 3-axis gimbals in addressing bouncy videos.
Andrew Conrad, from Turbo Ace, says that “despite many attempts, earlier 4-axis gimbal developments were unable to overcome 2 major roadblocks. First, the challenge of gravity compounded by stored energy resulted in endless undulating bounces created by the spring. Second, basic spring attributes were not conducive to adjustments for varying payloads. These are all extraordinarily difficult obstacles that gimbal developers have yet to overcome. You may have seen several carefully choreographed 4-axis gimbal videos on the web. But in each case, the dreaded bounces were concealed when the operator countered each upward movement with a well-timed and equal downward movement. Each time they returned to the center position, hiding the bounce issue that would happen in a vertical movement in a single direction. These are the reasons why other 4-axis gimbals on the market have never materialized as finished products.”
The newest product from Turbo Ace, a leading gimbal and drone manufacturer based in California, the Jockey Motion 4-Axis Gimbal is adaptable, intelligent and dynamic. In developing their revolutionary gimbal, Turbo Ace engineers have also adapted a seamless 4th-axis Jockey upgrade for Ronin, Ronin-M, Movi M5, Movi M10, Movi M15, AllSteady-6Pro and AllSteady-6Plus gimbals, providing easy transition between existing 3-axis and new 4-axis stabilization.
Apparently, and the videos do show it, Turbo Ace found the Holy Grail of cinematic video stabilization, through the integration of a proprietary custom suspension system with 4 synchronized Hydraulic Shocks to absorb and slowly dissipate energy in the vertical axis. This puts a stop to the endless up and down oscillation from the main spring. “The idea is very similar to the suspension system found in an automobile” says Andrew Conrad. “With just the spring but without the hydraulic shocks, the vertical suspension system would be rendered useless. We all at some point have witnessed a car with defective hydraulic shocks sitting on just the springs that continuously bounced up and down on the road. But the pursuit of perfection did not stop here, for in order to adapt to a different payload, variance to the torque of the shocks must be incorporated. This is similar to a SUV requiring heavier duty shocks than a Sedan. For heavier payloads and more rugged terrain, four hydraulics are used for maximum dampening. For a lighter payload and increased sensitivity to cinematic production, the number of hydraulics can be geared down to two with a twist of a thumb.”
The project, launched September 23 on Kickstarter, is nearing the end, but has already reached its goal. More than 30 backers pledged over $52,978 from a $20,000 goal, so the Jockey Motion 4-Axis Gimbal and 4th-Axis Jockey Upgrade for Ronin, Ronin-M & AllSteady gimbals are on the way to become a reality. In fact, the team believes so much in the project that they already have a final product to show, and not prototypes.
Turbo Ace is, in fact, not new to the area. Drawing from over 80 years of combined experience, they are a team of veteran developers, engineers and manufacturing professionals. Started in 2008, the Turbo Ace Development Team has completed and produced more than 32 projects, of which 9 of them are gimbal related. The Jockey Motion 4-Axis Gimbal is their new adventure.