Design and Implementation of a PID Controller for a Two-Axis Gimbal System Using ESP32

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25139/ijair.v7i2.10771

Keywords:

PID Controller, Camera Stabilizer, ESP32, MPU6050, PID, Voltage Sensor

Abstract

This study presents the design and implementation of a two-axis smartphone camera stabilizer system that uses an ESP32 microcontroller with a Proportional–Integral–Derivative (PID) control algorithm. The system is designed to maintain camera stability by minimizing unwanted vibrations and angular deviations on the roll and pitch axes. The hardware configuration consists of an ESP32 as the main control unit, an MPU6050 sensor for real-time orientation measurement, and two servo motors functioning as actuators for both axes. The control process operates in a closed loop, with the PID algorithm continuously using feedback from the MPU6050 sensor to correct the camera's orientation relative to the 0° setpoint. Experimental testing was carried out over a 40-second interval under four load conditions—no load, and additional weights of 186 g, 204 g, and 228 g—while manual disturbances were applied to simulate dynamic movement. The PID parameters (Kp, Ki, Kd) were tuned using a trial-and-error approach to achieve optimal response speed, stability, and steady-state accuracy. The best performance was obtained with parameter values of Kp = 1.3, Ki = 0.05, and Kd = 0, which produced the lowest accumulated error and sTable motion across all load variations. The corresponding settling times were 2.2 s (no load), 3.2 s (186 g), 4.2 s (204 g), and 4.5 s (228 g), indicating that increased load inertia slightly extended the stabilization period. Overall, the results indicate that the proposed ESP32-based two-axis gimbal system with PID control provides an effective, low-cost, and reliable stabilization solution suiTable for porTable videography, robotics, and drone applications.

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Published

2025-11-20

How to Cite

Design and Implementation of a PID Controller for a Two-Axis Gimbal System Using ESP32. (2025). International Journal of Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (IJAIR), 7(2), 72–82. https://doi.org/10.25139/ijair.v7i2.10771

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2025): November 2025

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