Files
Abstract
On April 8th of 2024, a total solar eclipse occurred, and the path of totality crossed North
America, including parts of Indiana. A high-altitude weather balloon (HAB) with a camera
stabilization system attached was launched into the atmosphere to capture footage of the shadow
of the Moon cast on the Earth during the progression of the total solar eclipse. High altitude
balloons have been used to view eclipses and their shadows from the atmosphere but have had
many challenges when it comes to stabilizing the payloads so that a clear image or video can be
taken. This team re-designed a camera stabilization system considering results from a previous
USI research project and a comprehensive literature review. This report presents the design of a
camera stabilization system, including a description of its main components consisting of a
magnetometer, an accelerometer and gyroscope, two Arduinos, and a GoPro camera.
Additionally, the team conducted tests and SolidWorks simulations to support design changes to
the system. The final design presented in Section 4 shows how the sensors and Arduinos work
together to control the stepper motor to counteract the spin of the camera stabilization system
pod induced by the ascent of the HAB and the attached experimental pods. The results from the
HAB launch and flight are shown in Section 6.