AEROSEED: DESIGN OF A GIMBAL PAYLOAD FOR AN

ALL ROTATING AERIAL VEHICLE

A THESIS

Presented to the University Honors Program

California State University, Long Beach

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the

University Honors Program Certificate

Kaori Emerson-Shurilla
 Fall 2020

I, THE UNDERSIGNED MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE,

HAVE APPROVED THIS THESIS

AEROSEED: DESIGN OF A GIMBAL PAYLOAD FOR AN

ALL ROTATING AERIAL VEHICLE

BY

Kaori Emerson-Shurilla

______________________________________________________________________________

Praveen Shankar, Ph.D. (Thesis Advisor) Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

California State University, Long Beach

Fall 2020
 ABSTRACT
AEROSEED: DESIGN OF A GIMBAL PAYLOAD

FOR AN ALL ROTATING AERIAL VEHICLE

By

Kaori Emerson-Shurilla

December 2020

This thesis details the requirements analysis and design process of the mechanical and

electrical systems of a gimbal to be used with all-rotating unmanned aerial vehicle. The purpose

of the gimbal, when used in conjunction with the De-Spinning platform, is to stabilize and point

a payload on the bottom of the vehicle.

The mechanical and electrical design systems were designed to satisfy the detailed

requirements that were developed considering the all-rotating vehicle’s specific flight conditions

and capabilities. Size and weight constraints greatly affected the gimbal design, as they were to

be minimized. The structure was analyzed to ensure the gimbal can operate at a rotation of up to

1200 rpm. The electronics were chosen to be easily customizable and give accurate pointing

control of the gimbal for at least 30 minutes. Careful design and analysis resulted in a robust 3-

axis gimbal with a total mass of 307.48 g, a battery life of 54 minutes, and accurate pointing

capabilities.
 LIST OF TABLES
TABLE Page

1 Requirements Breakdown ......................................................................... 5

2 Axes Trade Study ...................................................................................... 6

3 Gimbal Type Trade Study ......................................................................... 6

4 Gimbal Bill of Materials ........................................................................... 9

5 Gimbal Electronics .................................................................................... 19

6 Table of Masses ......................................................................................... 23

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 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE Page

1 Aeroseed UAV .......................................................................................... 1

2 Payload De-Spinning System .................................................................... 2

3 Design Methodology Flowchart ............................................................... 3

4 Gimbal Exploded view ............................................................................. 8

5 Gimbal Isometric View Drawing .............................................................. 10

6 Gimbal Back and Side View Drawings .................................................... 10

7 Step 1 - Gimbal Assembly ........................................................................ 7

8 Step 2 - Gimbal Assembly ........................................................................ 11

9 Step 3 – Gimbal Assembly ....................................................................... 12

10 Step 4 – Gimbal Assembly ....................................................................... 12

11 Step 5 – Gimbal Assembly ....................................................................... 13

12 CG Locations ............................................................................................. 14

13 Gimbal Isometric View .............................................................................. 14

14 Gimbal Front View .................................................................................... 15

15 Gimbal Side View ...................................................................................... 15

16 Simulation Setup – Fixed Geometry .......................................................... 16

17 Simulation Setup – Centrifugal Force........................................................ 17

18 von Mises Stress Analysis Results............................................................. 18

19 Displacements Results ............................................................................... 18

20 Gimbal Electrical Schematic...................................................................... 21

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page

LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................... vi

LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... vii

CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1

2. DESIGN METHODOLOGY ............................................................................ 3

3. REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS ....................................................................... 4

Top Level Requirements ........................................................................... 4
Requirements Breakdown ........................................................................... 4

4. TRADE STUDIES ............................................................................................ 6

Trade Study 1: Number of Axes Determination ......................................... 6
Trade Study 2: Premade vs. Custom Gimbal Determination ...................... 6
Baseline Selection ....................................................................................... 7

5. MECHANICAL DESIGN ................................................................................ 8

Mechanical Design Components ............................................................... 8
Mechanical Assembly and Interfaces ........................................................ 11
Mechanical Design Stress Analysis ........................................................... 16

6. ELECTRICAL DESIGN .................................................................................. 19

Electrical Design Components ................................................................... 19
Electrical Assembly ................................................................................... 21
Battery Life Calculations ........................................................................... 22

7. MASS BREAKDOWN ..................................................................................... 23

7. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS................................................................... 24

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 25

v
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The “Aeroseed” is an all-rotating unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), whose shape is

inspired by Samara maple seeds. These winged seeds rotate and glide as they fall to the ground,

and are able to travel far distances due to their aerodynamic shape [3]. The Aeroseed UAV

mimics the winged seed shape, as shown in Figure 1, and with its unique aerodynamic

characteristics, can begin and maintain flight. Its innovative design has the potential to

significantly reduce the mass and complexity of drone or unmanned systems, but it also comes

with its own challenges. Its biggest challenge is the constant rotation of the rotorcraft. Sensor-

reliant payloads for the purpose of data acquisition are almost useless aboard a constantly

rotating vehicle. Therefore, the addition of a payload spin stabilization system is necessary.

Figure 1: Aeroseed UAV

Recently, a motorized “Aeroseed Payload De-Spinning System” (Figure 2) has been

developed to counter-rotate the spinning of the payload in the vehicle’s axis of rotation [8]. It

mounts to the bottom of the Aeroseed UAV, and when powered on it measures the current

rotation rate of the vehicle. It then spins the payload in the opposite direction at the same rate so

that the payload appears stable. This system is useful in stabilizing the payload in the vehicle’s

1
axis of rotation, or the yaw axis, only; the payload cannot be stabilized in the pitch and roll axes.

Therefore, the addition of a gimbal is necessary to stabilize the payload in all axes. The gimbal

also serves to give pointing control of the payload so that it can track desired targets. It consists

of a mechanical and electrical structure that are integrated to carry out the tasks defined by the

requirements.

Figure 2: Payload De-Spinning System

2
 CHAPTER 2: DESIGN METHODOLOGY

The design methodology employed in developing the gimbal starts at identifying the need

for the system. In this case, the need is to fine-tune stabilization and control of the payload after

the De-Spinning mechanism. After the need is identified, detailed requirements are created.

Trade studies are then used to determine which design concept will best satisfy the requirements,

and then a baseline design is selected. The mechanical and electrical systems are designed and

iterated until the requirements are satisfied. Finally, the systems are integrated, and the gimbal

design is complete. A flow diagram of this design methodology is presented in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Design Methodology Flowchart

3
 CHAPTER 3: REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS

2.1 Top-Level Requirements

The top-level requirements for the gimbal are derived from the system need. A list of

top-level requirements is given below.

R.100 The gimbal shall interface to the bottom of a separate system.

R.200 The gimbal shall accommodate a payload.

R.300 The gimbal shall stabilize the payload.

R.400 The gimbal shall perform reliably throughout flight.

R.500 The gimbal shall point the payload.

2.2 Requirements Breakdown

The top-level requirements are broken down in Table 1. The top-level requirements are

shown in bold. Lower-level requirements are written below their corresponding top-level

requirements to show how the requirements flow down. Each requirement is categorized as

either Top Level, Constraint, Functional, or Operational Requirement. Specific Technical

Performance Measures (TPMs) are assigned to each of the requirements that give numeric

“goals” that must be satisfied to fulfill the requirement. Finally, the verification method is

included with each requirement. The methods of verification are Inspection, Analysis,

Demonstration, and Testing.

4
Table 1: Requirements Breakdown

5
 CHAPTER 4: TRADE STUDIES

Two major trade studies were conducted before a baseline design was selected that best

satisfies the above requirements. The first trade study conducted helped determine whether to

pursue a 2-axis or 3-axis gimbal design. The second trade study helped determine whether to use

a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) gimbal, or to create a custom gimbal.

4.1 Trade Study 1: Number of Axes Determination

Table 2: Axes Trade Study

Option 1: 2-Axis Gimbal Option 2: 3-Axis Gimbal

Pros • Lighter • Stabilization of payload in direction of vehicle rotation (yaw

• Lower power consumption/ higher battery axis) which fine tunes stabilization of De-Spinning
life Mechanism
• Less expensive • Provides higher quality stabilization

Cons • Does not stabilize in direction of vehicle • Heavier

rotation (yaw axis) • Higher power consumption/ lower battery life [2]
• Less stabilization overall of payload • More expensive
resulting in “yaw axis” jittering [2]

4.2 Trade Study 2: COTS vs. Custom Gimbal Determination

Table 3: Gimbal Type Trade Study

Option 1: Premade Gimbal Option 2: Custom Gimbal System using Option 3: Custom Gimbal System
System a Gimbal Controller from Scratch

Pros • Simplicity • Lots of documentation • Completely customizable

• Can choose gimbal motors and (mounting platform, axes, PID)
mounting platform for specific
payload size and weight
• Can be used as a 2 or 3 axis gimbal
controller
• PID tuning using its own open
source software
• Built in ESCs
• Less expensive than premade
gimbal system

6
Cons • Many premade options are • Must make own gimbal structure • Documentation only available
discontinued due to • Must create suspension system to for individual components, not
obsolescence dampen fast vibrations which may overall system
• Not open source be less effective • Software intensive
• Many include built in • Need to create own PID loop for
cameras and do not include motor control
mounting platforms for • Must make own gimbal structure
personal payloads • Heaviest option
• More expensive than gimbal • Clunkiest option since ESCs and
controller option microcontroller do not come in a
package

4.3 Baseline Selection

After conducting Trade Study 1: Number of Axes Determination, a decision to pursue

Option 2, a 3-axis design, was made. Requirement R.501 specifies pointing accuracy of 5

degrees for payload pointing control. Without yaw axis stabilization, achieving this pointing

capability would be very difficult for a 2-axis gimbal. Therefore, a 3-axis gimbal design was

chosen since it best satisfies the requirements of quality stabilization and pointing control.

After conducting Trade Study 2: COTS vs. Custom Gimbal Determination, a decision to

pursue Option 2, a custom gimbal with gimbal controller, was made. Option 2 strikes the best

balance between customization and simplicity. Requirement R.201 which defines the payload

carrying capability, cannot easily be satisfied with Option 1. Additionally, pointing control

might be difficult to achieve since the software is not open source and cannot be customized.

Requirement R.102 which specifies the mass constraints are difficult to satisfy with Option 3 due

to the necessity of many individual components. Additionally, on the software side, Option 3 is

the most complex since everything is done from scratch. Option 2 therefore is the best choice

since it satisfies customizability requirements without being too heavy or complicated.

7
 CHAPTER 5: MECHANICAL DESIGN

5.1 Mechanical Design Components

After several design iterations, the components of the final gimbal were created using the

SOLIDWORKS 3D modeling software. The gimbal components are listed in Table 4: Gimbal

Bill of Materials. They can be viewed in Figures 4,5, and 6. All components that were designed

using SOLIDWORKS will be printed using PLA filament. Figure 6 shows an exploded view of

the gimbal with labeled components.

Gimbal Top Mount

Yaw Motor
Vertical Gimbal Arm

Roll Motor

Gimbal Electronics Cap

Gimbal Payload Mount
Pitch Motor
Horizontal Gimbal Arm

Figure 4: Gimbal Exploded view

8
Table 4: Gimbal Bill of Materials

9
 Figure 5: Gimbal Isometric View Drawing

(a) (b)

Figure 6: Gimbal Back and Side View Drawings

10
5.2 Mechanical Assembly and Interfaces

The gimbal assembly steps are as follows:

1. Attach the front face of the yaw motor to the Gimbal Top Mount, and attach the base

of the motor to the top of the Gimbal Vertical Arm.

Figure 7: Step 1 - Gimbal Assembly

2. Attach the base of the roll motor to the bottom of the Gimbal Vertical Arm. Then,

sandwich the Storm32 Brushless Gimbal Controller (BGC) between the back of the

Gimbal Vertical Arm and the Gimbal Electronics Cap.

Figure 8: Step 2 - Gimbal Assembly

11
3. Attach the front face of the roll motor to the back of the Horizontal Gimbal Arm.

Figure 9: Step 3 – Gimbal Assembly

4. Attach the front face of the pitch motor to the Gimbal Payload Mount. Then slide the

payload into the mount and secure it in place.

Figure 10: Step 4 – Gimbal Assembly

12
 5. Finally, attach the base of the pitch motor to the front of the Horizontal Gimbal Arm

to complete the assembly.

Figure 11: Step 5 – Gimbal Assembly

6. For future integration with the Aeroseed and De-Spinning System: The Rubber

Spacers contain screws that can be mounted to the De-Spinning system. The purpose

of the rubber is to dampen vibrations that would occur when all systems are

integrated.

The individual components that are named and shown in the previous section are put

together below as assemblies. The assembly file was used to fix the final dimensions of the

Vertical Arm and the Gimbal Arm with special importance to the centers of gravity (CG) of the

components connected to each motor. The goal was to design the assembly in a way that

eliminates residual torque. If the motors are not powered, there are no torques due to geometry

that will move the motors; the gimbal is balanced. Having a balanced gimbal is extremely

important so the motors do not have to constantly correct for imbalances in weight distribution

that could have been deliberately eliminated with thoughtful design. To eliminate these residual

13
torques, the CG of all components connected to each motor should pass through the axis of

rotation of the motor. The roll motor was analyzed first, as shown in Figure 12 (a). The CG of

the payload and Payload Mount were calculated using SOLIDWORKS mass solvers, and length

dimensions of the Gimbal Arm were adjusted until the CG passed through the motor axis. The

same design consideration was taken for the pitch and yaw motors (Figure 12 (b) and (c)) so that

the Vertical Arm dimensions could be finalized. The result is a balanced gimbal.

(a) Roll Motor (b) Pitch Motor (c) Yaw Motor

Figure 12: CG Locations

The final design of the gimbal is shown in Figure 13: Gimbal Isometric View, Figure 14:

Gimbal Front View, and Figure 15: Gimbal Side View.

Figure 13: Gimbal Isometric View

14
Figure 14: Gimbal Front View

Figure 15: Gimbal Side View

15
5.3 Mechanical Design Stress Analysis

To verify Requirement R.401, which states that the gimbal must be able to withstand

forces associated with rotation of up to 1200 rpm in the vehicle axis of rotation, a

SOLIDWORKS stress analysis was conducted. The analysis setup consists of two parts: fixture

setup and centrifugal force setup. Figure 16 shows the fixture setup. They were defined as the

screws within the rubber spacers since these will mount to the De-Spinning platform. This is

represented with green arrows in the figure. Figure 17 shows the centrifugal force setup. The

force included in the test setup is the centrifugal force associated with the spinning motion of

1200 rpm. The spin happens around the gimbal yaw axis which lines up with the gimbal CG and

vehicle axis of rotation. It is represented with the red arrow. The results of the stress analysis are

shown in Figure 18 and Figure 19.

Figure 16: Simulation Setup – Fixed Geometry

16
 Figure 17: Simulation Setup – Centrifugal Force

Figure 18 shows the von Mises Stress Analysis Results for the final design. The

maximum stress (flagged in the figure) that the gimbal experiences is 12.43 MPa which happens

on the Horizontal Arm near the pitch motor. According to reference [7], the yield stress of PLA

which makes up the Horizontal Arm, is 26.4 MPa. In previous design iterations, the Horizontal

Arm was thinner, and the maximum stress was greater in the same general location. To ensure

that the plastic part would not break, the Horizontal Arm was thickened, and final stress analysis

results verified the strength of the thickened design since the maximum stress is under the yield

stress of the material with a factor of safety of 2.12.

17
 Figure 18: von Mises Stress Analysis Results

Figure 19 shows the material displacements that the gimbal will experience while rotating

at 1200 rpm. The maximum displacement occurs at the leftmost tip of the Payload Mount. This

makes sense since this location is the furthest location away from the axis of rotation. It therefore

experiences the largest centripetal force.

Figure 19: Displacements Results

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 CHAPTER 6: ELECTRICAL DESIGN

6.1 Electrical Design Components

The electronics selected for the gimbal are shown in Table 5 which includes a short

description of the component and its specifications. The Storm32 Brushless Gimbal Controller

(BGC). serves as the brain of the gimbal. It presents a clean and simple formfactor without the

need for additional clunky components such as an external microcontroller or Electronic Speed

Controllers (ESC). The motors plug directly into the BGC board, which contains built in ESC’s

and control electronics which are necessary for using brushless motors. Hobby grade ESCs are

often rather large, so having them included in the board reduces the mass and size of the

electronics system. Another notable feature of the Storm32 BGC is that it can be used with a

user-friendly GUI from BaseCam Electronics, a company that specializes in stabilization systems

for cameras [2]. With their GUI and firmware, the PID loops that programmed within the board

can be adjusted to fine-tune stabilization of the gimbal. Utilizing the software from BaseCam

significantly reduces the complexity of the software aspect of the electronic system while also

providing the capability to customize the gimbal.

Table 5: Gimbal Electronics

Component Description Specifications QTY

Storm32 Brushless • Operating Voltage: 11.1- 1

Gimbal Controller 16.8 V
with IMU • Working Current: 350 mA
• Mass: 180 g
A hobby grade drone • Size: 50 x 50 mm
gimbal controller that is • Material: CNC Metal
used to control the • Supply Voltage: 6-18 V
gimbal motors • Supply Current: max 1.5 A

19
HobbyKing Brushless • Voltage (from BGC): 11.1V
Gimbal Motor • Mass: 32.3 g
• Rotation: 140 rpm/V
Serves as the roll, pitch, • Diameter: 28 mm 3
and yaw motors

Tattu 11.1V LiPo • Voltage: 11.1 V

Battery • Mass: 41 g
• Cells: 3 S
Supplies 12V to motors • Discharge Rate: 75C
and BGC • Capacity: 450 mAh 1

FrSky RX4R Receiver • Operating Voltage: 3.5 -

10V
Onboard receiver that • Operating Current: 100
receives commands mA @ 5 V
from the transmitter to • Operating Range: > 2 km
dictate where the user • Mass: 2.4 g 1
wants to point the • Dimensions: 18x17x7 mm
payload

FrSky Taranis Q X7 • Operating Voltage: 6 -15 V

Transmitter • Operating Current: 210
mA
Sends commands to the • Frequency: 2.5 GHz
receiver. The user 1
controls the joysticks to
point the payload.

20
6.2 Electrical Assembly

The wiring diagram of the electronics system is shown in Figure 20. On the overall

system, the IMU will mount to the bottom of the Payload Mount. The FrSky Receiver will be

packaged nicely with the Storm32 BGC on the Horizontal Arm, and the roll, pitch, and yaw

motors will slide into their respective slots within the Vertical and Horizontal Arms.

Figure 20: Gimbal Electrical Schematic

21
6.3 Battery Life Calculations

Requirement R.402 states that the system must be able to be powered for at least 30

minutes. In order to verify this requirement, a battery life calculation was performed to ensure

that the selected battery is sufficient. The Tattu LiPo Battery specifications are shown in Table

X.X and are used for the calculation of theoretical battery life below [5].

𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦(𝑚𝐴ℎ) 1 450 𝑚𝐴ℎ 1

∗ ∗ 60 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑠 = ∗ ∗ 60 𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 67.5 𝑚𝑖𝑛
1000 𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐷𝑟𝑎𝑤 (𝐴) 1000 .4 𝐴

The battery capacity from the specification sheet is 450 mAh, or milli-Ampere hours. This means

that the battery can output 450 mA (.45 A) for one hour. A good estimation for system current

draw is 0.32 A, but an overestimation of 0.4 A is used in this calculation. The result is an

estimated flight time of 67.5 min. According to source [6], the LiPo battery should only be used

to 80% capacity as to not damage the battery. This adjustment is shown below.

67.5 𝑚𝑖𝑛 ∗ 0.80 = 54 𝑚𝑖𝑛

The calculated battery life is 54 minutes which is well above the requirement of 30

minutes.

22
 CHAPTER 7: MASS BREAKDOWN

Requirement R.102 states that the overall mass of the gimbal must be less than or equal

to 0.5 kg (500 g). This is verified in Table 6 which totals the masses of all the components. All

3D printed parts were estimated using SOLIDWORKS mass properties. The total estimated mass

of the gimbal is 307.84 g which is well below the maximum mass of 500 g.

Table 6: Table of Masses

Component Mass
Vertical Gimbal Arm 23.42 g
Horizontal Gimbal Arm 24.89 g
Gimbal Payload Mount 19.68 g
Gimbal Top Mount 8.85 g
Gimbal Payload (Camera) 51.86 g
Gimbal Electronics Cap 10.98 g
Screws and Rubber Spacers 9.86 g
Gimbal Motor (x3) (32.3)(3) = 96.9 g
Storm32 BGC 18 g
FrSky Receiver 2.4 g
Battery 41 g
TOTAL MASS 307.84 g

23
 CHAPTER 8: RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The objective of this thesis is to create a gimbal to be used with the , all-rotating UAV.

The first step in the design process was to create a detailed list of requirements. Trade studies

were then conducted to determine the best baseline design, and the mechanical and electrical

systems were designed.

Most requirements were verified through inspection of product datasheets and

SOLIDWORKS models. Two main analyses were conducted in order to verify the gimbal

structure and gimbal battery life. A SOLIDWORKS stress analysis revealed that the maximum

stress the gimbal experiences while rotating at 1200 rpm is 12.43 MPa. Battery life calculations

revealed that the gimbal can safely operate for 54 minutes. The final gimbal is a 3-axis gimbal

with a mass of 307.48 g and pointing capabilities.

Next steps in the gimbal design would be to verify requirements R.302 and R.501 which

involve testing the gimbal motor resolution and gimbal pointing accuracy. Additional work will

also be necessary in integrating all systems: the Aeroseed, De-Spinning Mechanism, and gimbal.

Once all three systems are integrated, the addition of some sort of cage or landing gear may be

necessary to protect the De-Spinning Mechanism and Gimbal during falls or landing.

24
 REFERENCES

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International Version for RC Drone RC Parts from Toys Hobbies and Robot on
Banggood.com.”.
www.banggood.com/FrSky-ACCST-Taranis-Q-X7-Transmitter-2_4G-16CH-Mode-2-White-
Black-International-Version-for-RC-Drone-p-1196246.html?utm_source=google

[2] “BaseCam Electronics.” BaseCam Electronics™.

www.basecamelectronics.com/

[3] Kanuckel, Amber. “Seeing Maple 'Copters? Here's What They Are.” Farmers' Almanac, 21
Apr. 2020.
www.farmersalmanac.com/maple-copters-everywhere-21588

[4] Multicopter.forestblue.nl. “Multicopter: Introduction on LiPo Batteries.” Multicopter Build

Log.
multicopter.forestblue.nl/lipo_need_calculator.html

[5] Reid, John. “Understanding Kv Ratings.” RotorDrone, 28 Jan. 2017.

www.rotordronepro.com/understanding-kv-ratings/

[6] Russell. “Calculate Flight Time of LiPo Battery.” Scout UAV, 30 July 2011.
www.scoutuav.com/2011/05/12/calculate-flight-time/

[7] Standardized Distributed 3D. “SD3D Technical Data Sheet: Polylactic Acid (PLA).” SD3D
3D Printed Materials.
www.sd3d.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/MaterialTDS-PLA_01.pdf

[8] Swaney, Thomas. (2020). Design of a Payload Spin Stabilization System for an All-Rotating
Aerial Vehicle (P. Shankar, T. Prince, J. Crisantes, O. Chaing, E. Ulrich, & B. Oberto, Eds.).
IMECE2020-23640.

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[9] Ulrich, E. R., Pines, D. J., Park, J., & Gerardi, S. (2013, February 5). United States Patent No.
US 8366055 B2.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US8366055B2

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