Camera Chase Vehicle(transistor-man.com)
228 points by geerlingguy 8 days ago | 22 comments
tl;dr: A hobbyist built a remote-controlled camera chase vehicle by mounting a Freefly Movi M10 gimbal (bought used for $124) onto a 1/5-scale RC chassis from a surplus store, with a VESC motor controller, DeWalt battery packs, 3D-printed TPU fenders for ice racing, and an Amimon CONNEX 5.8GHz HD video link. The write-up covers mechanical design, power distribution, reverse-engineering Panasonic camera lens control via the shutter port's analog resistance signaling, and unlocking an offline firmware update mode for the discontinued CONNEX radios. Initial shakedown at 30 MPH revealed the gimbal was poorly balanced, degrading footage quality.
HN Discussion:
  • Appreciation for hobbyist content as a refreshing break from AI/ML-dominated HN feed
  • Nostalgic recognition of the author's previous impressive projects and prolific output
  • Technical admiration for specific clever solutions like using TPU for shear resistance
  • Appreciation for the old-internet character of the personal, ad-free writeup style
  • Desire for additional content like FPV footage of the crash