The Dome. A FPV ball turret.

thingiverse

Some days ago, a friend of mine approached me and asked if I could help him build a turret to mount an FPV camera on his UAV. I began searching online for suitable components, but didn't find anything that fit our project's requirements, so I decided to design something new. As I wanted to create a truly original design, the idea struck me to make a symmetrical dome where each half of the ball was identical, except it could be rotated 180 degrees to match the other half. To achieve this effect, I created a 3D model file named domo_v2.STL and duplicated it twice so we had two halves to print out. For the servos used in my design, I selected Hitec HS-82MG models. These high-quality servos come in a compact size (available at hobbyking.com) that suits our needs perfectly. A standard FPV camera is used, but any other 38x38 board camera can also work well with this turret design (you can find one similar on hobbyking.com). For fastening purposes, hex M3 screws were employed; the ones inserted into the ball are around 30mm long, while the others vary from 6 to 15 mm in length. In response to user feedback following our first test, we made adjustments to the turret by routing wires through it instead of attaching them directly. This resulted in a much cleaner design and a more practical application for those seeking a high degree of freedom, which can be seen on display when turning the camera 270 degrees from side to side. To accommodate moving parts within the design while ensuring its overall structural stability, we included three pivot screws supporting the assembly; images show this aspect prominently.