Systems and methods for positioning a camera crane

A system for positioning a camera head, the camera head coupled to a provided camera crane, the camera crane includes a base, an arm pivotally coupled to the base at a proximate end-portion of the arm, and the camera head pivotally coupled to a distal end-portion of the arm, the system comprising:

• a first detector that detects a magnitude of a first angle between the arm and the base;
• a second detector that detects a magnitude of a second angle between the arm and a horizontal plane, the horizontal plane perpendicular to a direction of gravity;
• an actuator mechanically coupled between the camera head and the arm;
• and
• a processing circuit;
• wherein
• the processing circuit determines an angular rate of change of the magnitude of the first angle;
• the processing circuit determines a first length of the actuator in accordance with the magnitude of the second angle;
• the processing circuit determines a second length of the actuator in accordance with the magnitude of the second angle plus an incremental value;
• the processing circuit moves the actuator between the first length and the second length at a rate in accordance with the angular rate of change.

A system for positioning a camera head, the camera head coupled to a provided camera crane, the camera crane includes a base, an arm pivotally coupled to the base at a proximate end-portion of the arm, and the camera head pivotally coupled to a distal end-portion of the arm, the system comprising:

• a first detector that detects a first inclination of the arm relative to the base;
• a second detector that detects a second inclination of the arm with respect to a direction of gravity;
• a linear actuator mechanically coupled between the camera head and the arm;
• and
• a processing circuit;
• wherein
• the processing circuit determines a present length of the actuator and a next length of the actuator in accordance with a magnitude of the second inclination;
• the processing circuit determines a rate of movement between the present length of the actuator and the next length of the actuator in accordance a rate of change of the first inclination;
• and
• the processing circuit moves the actuator from the present length to the next length at the rate of movement to position a camera mount of the camera head parallel to a plane.