ESP32-Gimbal

Over-Engineered Stick (ESP32-S3 Gimbal)

Because apparently holding a phone parallel to the ground requires too much caloric burn for the modern human, I spent some time engineering a robot to do it for me. This is a custom 3-axis gimbal powered by an ESP32-S3, designed to compensate for your lack of wrist stability and general unwillingness to hold a steady shot.

The "Why Did I Build This" Stack:

• MCU: ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N8R2 (Because a simple Arduino wasn't overkill enough)
• Sensors: BMI270 6-Axis IMU (To feel every single one of your hand tremors)
• Drivers: 3x DRV8313 Three-Phase Drivers (So the phone floats magically while you do nothing)
• Motors: 2805 140KV Gimbal BLDC Motors (To turn in exactly the opposite direction like she did)
• Power: Custom 3S Li-Ion BMS with CN3303 Charging & TPS563200 Regulation (Because USB 5V is for the weak)

Key Features

• Active Stabilization: Uses high-frequency FOC math to micro-manage gravity so you don't have to use "muscles".
• Native USB-C: One cable to code it and charge it, because looking for two different cables is just too much work.
• 3 Operation Modes:
  • Stabilize: Standard horizon leveling and pan following.
  • Teaching Mode: Disables the motors so you can twist the camera to any weird angle by hand. After 5 seconds of holding it there, the gimbal accepts its new reality and locks that position.
  • Selfie/Statue Mode: A dedicated mode that gives you 6 seconds to pose the camera, then freezes it in place indefinitely because apparently holding a selfie angle is considered cardio now.

---

External Wiring Diagrams

Battery:

---

Handle wiring:

---

BMI270 Breakout Board:

---

Motors:

---

PCB Schematics

---

PCB Layout and Render

---

Custom Body (3D Model)

Handle:

---

Handle Top:

---

Handle Enclosure:

---

PAN Arm :

---

ROLL Arm:

---

PITCH Arm:

---

PITCH Arm Cover:

---

Tripod Enclosure:

---

Tripod Hub:

---

Tripod Legs:

---

Financial Damage Report (Bill of Material)

BOM can be found in the root older as a .csv, and is also viewable here: Custom Gimble BOM

Lion Circuits Order

JLCPCB Order

Carts

Robu

---

OnlyScrews

---

ElectroPi

---

Evalta

---

DNA Tech India

---

Amazon

Future Bugs... I Mean Features (Roadmap)

Things I might add if I ever get bored of it working perfectly

• Bluetooth App: Control the gimbal with a phone (because looking at two screens is better than one).
• Face Tracking: If I can figure out how to run AI on this chip without it catching fire.

Liability Waiver (License)

License: MIT

Feel free to steal this code, modify it, or sell it. However, if your phone falls out and breaks because you set the PID values wrong, I legally never met you.