Piezo-driven two-degree-of-freedom camera orientation system

A new two-degree-of-freedom (DoF) camera orientation system is suggested, which can be used as a head-mounted gaze-driven camera orientation device or as an artificial eye e.g., in the head of humanoid robots. Reaching the dynamics of the human oculomotoric system and at the same time being as small and as lightweight as possible are basic requirements for the presented device. In order to satisfy these terms a piezo-actuator driven parallel kinematic with a backlash-free gimbal joint has been set up. First experiments with a closed loop position controller demonstrate good step response and following behavior of the system.