Electronically controlled gimbaled platform for steadying illumination sources on vehicles

An electronically controlled gimbaled platform assembly comprising:

• gimbaled platform assembly attached to a vehicle and further comprises:
• a roll assembly including
• a first roll spindle,
• a second roll spindle,
• a gimbaled platform of sufficient size to accommodate an illumination source wherein the gimbaled platform includes an edge,
• a roll bracket of sufficient size to accommodate the gimbaled platform having
• a predetermined roll axis,
• an upper roll surface,
• a lateral roll surface,
• a first roll pillar having a hole adapted to receive the first roll spindle, and
• a second roll pillar having a hole adapted to receive the second roll spindle,
• wherein the first roll pillar and the second roll pillar are fixedly attached the upper roll surface, the first roll pillar and the second roll pillar are perpendicular to the upper roll surface, and the hole in the first roll pillar and the hole second roll pillar are disposed along the predetermined roll axis,
• wherein the first roll spindle is fixedly attached to a predetermined first point on the edge of the gimbaled platform and the second roll spindle fixedly attached to a predetermined second point on the edge of the gimbaled platform, and
• a roll actuator is attached to the first roll spindle, whereby the first roll spindle is rotated about the predetermined roll axis;
• a pitch assembly including
• a first pitch spindle,
• a second pitch spindle,
• a pitch bracket of sufficient size to accommodate the roll assembly having
• a predetermined pitch axis,
• an upper pitch surface,
• a lower pitch surface,
• a first pitch pillar having a hole adapted to receive the first pitch spindle,
• a second pitch pillar having a hole adapted to receive the second pitch spindle
• wherein the first pitch pillar and the second pitch pillar are fixedly attached to the upper pitch surface and are perpendicular to the upper pitch surface, the hole in the first pitch pillar and the hole in the second pitch pillar are disposed along the predetermined pitch axis,
• wherein the first pitch spindle is fixedly attached to a predetermined first point on the lateral roll surface of the roll bracket and the second pitch spindle fixedly attached to a predetermined second point on the lateral roll surface of the roll bracket,
• a pitch actuator attached to the first pitch spindle, whereby the first pitch spindle is rotated about the predetermined pitch axis;
• a yaw mounting bracket including
• a predetermined yaw axis,
• a yaw platform surface of sufficient size to accommodate the pitch assembly bracket,
• a base plate,
• a yaw actuator, wherein the yaw actuator is fixedly attached to the base plate,
• a yaw spindle having a first and a second end, wherein the yaw spindle is disposed along the predetermined yaw axis, and the first end of the yaw spindle is fixedly attached to a first predetermined point on the lower pitch surface, and the second end of the yaw spindle is fixedly attached to the yaw actuator, whereby the yaw actuator operates to rotate the pitch bracket about the yaw axis;
• a vehicle rotation measurement unit capable of acquiring a plurality of actual instantaneous vehicle rotation measurements about the predetermined roll, the predetermined pitch, and the predetermined yaw axis;
• a communication unit that communicates the plurality of instantaneous vehicle rotation measurements to an electronic controller wherein the electronic controller includes
• a calibration unit wherein a desired orientation of the gimbaled platform has been specified;
• a stability computation unit capable of determining a plurality of control signals needed by the roll actuator, the pitch actuator, and the yaw actuator for maintaining the gimbaled platform in the desired orientation;
• a output unit for communicating the plurality of control signals from the stability computation unit to the roll, the pitch, and the yaw actuator.