The new gimbal designed by engineers at Ross-Hime Design Inc. in Minneapolis, will give cameras and other sensors mounted on military UAVs 180° of horizon-to-horizon tracking. The device, dubbed the Omni-Wrist VI, also uses fewer motors and other expensive components than previous designs.
This version eliminates the keyhole or gimbal lock, as well as any rotary joints, twist capsules, and other rotary wire-handling devices. Instead, a simple through-hole lets wires, cables, and fiber optics pass through the faceplate to the base of the unit. The new gimbal has a repeatability of 35 arc-sec, a twofold improvement over its 10-year-old predecessor. The cost and size of the Omni-Wrist VI will be similar to those of previous designs.