Capturally

An EV3 robot that can capture videos and images using tracking and keyframes

What?

Capturally is a programmable camera dolly designed to help get consistent difficult camera footage
This device repeats camera operations for content creators, filmmakers, and film hobbyists using Lego EV3
The device has three different movement axes which include linear, rotation, and tilt
Capturally weighs less than 3 kilograms, enabling it to be portable and versatile

How?

Three conceptual designs were considered for Capturally:

The first concept had wheels for movement, and gear systems for both rotation and tilt
The second concept uses a track for movement, and pulleys for rotation and tilt
The third concept functioned on a rail with direct shaft mounting for rotation and tilt

Through a decision-making matrix, the first concept ranked the highest for smooth movement, weight, strength, and range of motion, resulting in becoming the design of Capturally.

This design was made with Lego, laser cut fibreboard, and 3D printed custom pieces
3D printed pieces, such as the camera mount, were designed in SolidWorks and the fibreboard was designed in AutoCAD
As a team, we took measurements from the Lego to ensure all the pieces would fit accordingly
Mechanical components were tested through engineering design specifications, where movement, structural reliability, weight, user friendliness, size, object tracking, and camera compatibility were verified with analysis, test, and demonstration

Capturally has four main functions:

Point to point
Move and track
Turning sequence
Timed movement

Spanning over 1000 lines of code, we were able to make this Lego robot work consistently and effectively

Results

Capturally meets the engineering design specifications which are crucial for the success of the project
The mechanical features were achieved through a motor powering each axis of motion, including tilt, rotation, and linear movement
As for the software features, several menus have been formatted to be user friendly and intuitive by having clear and concise instructions on each menu
These support the four main movement functions of point to point, move and track, turning sequence, and timed movement
Motion controls such as moving for a set time, allowing users to set sequence speeds, and syncing up all three motions to stop simultaneously exceeded the programming requirement