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Odysseus gimbal by Hikade: Precise stabilisation and tracking for versatile applications

Innovative dual-axis positioning device with iglidur® PRT slewing ring bearings for a robust design for environmental monitoring, disaster management and telecommunications
The Czech company Hikade has developed a new solution for precise positioning and stabilisation with its Odysseus gimbal. The gimbal is supported by lubrication-free, maintenance-free, lightweight, robust and noiseless iglidur® PRT slewing ring bearings. These bearings ensure a long service life and withstand extreme conditions, including corrosion and various weather conditions. The Odysseus gimbal is highly customisable and sets new standards for precision and stability in various applications. The gimbal is therefore suitable for helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft or even maritime and ground-based applications.

Other application examples include aerial photography or thermal imaging, as a light source or for target acquisition.
 
The Odysseus gimbal was exhibited at EUROSATORY 2022 in Paris. There it was equipped with a beamlight searchlight (CRYTUR).

Profile

  • What was needed: A lightweight and cost-effective device for 360-degree movement.
  • Requirements: Smooth movement, durability over the entire required temperature range and vibration resistance. The bearing must be suitable for use in any configuration, e.g. sea, ground or aerospace.
  • Industry: Camera and film technology
PRT slewing ring bearing with azimuth and elevation axes for a gimbal system.

Problem

The challenge for Hikade was the precise integration of a slewing ring bearing into the Odysseus gimbal, as this forms the core element of stability. It was also challenging to adapt the gimbal to different customer requirements and ensure reliable performance in variable weather conditions. The complexity of the two-axis motion control and the precise alignment required for earth observation and data connection also presented a technical hurdle.

Solution

The solution for Hikade was to utilise the iglidur® PRT slewing ring bearing for the Odysseus gimbal. The PRT slewing ring bearing offers a lubrication-free, maintenance-free design that ensures long-term operation and robustness in a wide range of weather conditions. The lightweight design of the bearing is a perfect match for the gimbal application, while the silent operation allows for precise alignment. These unique specifications of the iglidur® PRT provide the ideal solution to meet the stabilisation, adaptability and precision challenges of the Odysseus gimbal.

Products used

igus plain bearing ring with holes.
iglidur® slewing ring, PRT-04
PRT rotary table bearing from iglidur in different versions.
Discover iglidur® slewing rings in the online shop
PRT Experte configurator on a laptop with a gear icon.
iglidur® PRT expert

Further application images

Black HIKADE Manus industrial actuator with a cylindrical housing.
Compact Hikade swivel head on a black cylindrical housing against a diagonally split background.
HIKADE industrial component with a cylindrical housing and ribbed structure on a black-and-white background.

Our users benefit from this specification

Lightweight

Thanks to sliding elements made of plastic and even lighter with aluminium housing.

Quiet

No noise from metallic friction or balls.

Robust
polymer sliding elements are insensitive to dirt and moisture.

Successfully in use with our customers

Manus rotary table with camera setup in the room.

Compact slewing ring bearing for 360° product holders

For the bearing and drive of the turntable, a solution was sought that was as light and compact as possible and required only a few components. A high mechanical load capacity and low speed were also required. The choice fell on lightweight and vibration-damping iglidur®® PRT slewing ring bearings.

Learn more about this application
Camera setup on a camera slider for video recording.

Robust energy chain for high-speed camera sleds

The Trackrunner from Rail & Tracking Systems is a professional camera sled for fast movements that is used in sports competitions and TV shows. The company relies on energy chains from the E6 series for the safe guidance of the cables, which can easily cope with the high accelerations even in outdoor areas at high temperatures.

Learn more about this application
Stage technology with various igus cable carriers and guides in different applications.

... and more success stories

We have helped many customers to improve the movement of their film and camera technology. Take a look at other customer projects in which our lightweight and robust energy chain systems, lubrication-free linear guides, slewing ring bearings and plain bushings are used: in large and small camera carriages, camera robots, turntables, jibs and focus adjustment systems for large format cameras.

Discover more customer projects
Testlab with test benches and shelving systems for bearing components in an industrial hall.

Tested in the industry's largest test laboratory

We test so that you don't have to experiment. Find out how our products are tested in the largest test laboratory in the industry. In addition to standard tests, we also carry out customised tests. Our entire area for application and material testing extends over 3,800 m².

Find out more about the test laboratory

Frequently asked questions - slewing ring bearing FAQ

Electrically conductive? Suitable for contact with food? What is the maximum load capacity? You can find answers to these and other questions in our slewing ring bearing FAQ. Here, we have compiled the most frequently asked questions about our iglidur PRT slewing ring bearings for you.

Go to slewing ring bearing FAQ

Contact us

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