Aerodynamic Roof Camera Enclosure

I’m upgrading a vehicle with a roof-mounted thermal imaging camera and need a streamlined enclosure that behaves a bit like a transformer: it must rise, give the camera a full 180° pan and at least 30° of tilt, then fold back and disappear under a low-drag cover when not in use. The core of the job is mechanical design. I’m after a concept that can be built either by 3-D printing or injection-moulding, so please keep draft angles, wall thickness and other DFM considerations in mind from the outset. Weather sealing, vibration resistance and smooth airflow over the stowed housing are essential, but I’m flexible on the exact material as long as it can survive sun, rain and highway wind speeds. I need sourcing motors, sensors, circuitry, the enclosure geometry, hinge/lift mechanism and any brackets or seals needed to integrate hardware. The schedule is open-ended and will move as fast as our communication, funding milestones and part availability allow, so clear progress updates are more important than hitting an arbitrary date. Deliverables • CAD model (STEP or native SolidWorks/Fusion) of the entire assembly • Exploded view and basic BOM for fabrication or quoting • Brief notes on recommended materials, fasteners and surface finishes • If time permits, a quick airflow/CFD snapshot or hand-calc drag estimate to confirm it stays sleek when stowed I have purchased the camera from [login to view URL], these are its specifications: Dimensions (Overall): 21 x 21 mm. Focal Length: 4.3mm. Weight: < 8g. Field of View (FOV): 40°(H) x 30°(V). Lens Protection: High strength protective window. IP Rating: IP67 (waterproof/dustproof). Sensor Type: 256x192 VOX. If you’ve ever designed retractable LiDAR pods, automotive fairings or gimbal housings, I’d love to see examples. Let’s build something that keeps the camera protected, the drag low and the car looking sharp. The camera will need to be held securely whether it is folded down and protected, or raised up to rotate or tilt, but it should allow for reasonably quick insert / removal when something needs fixed or becomes worn out. I need a waterproof pan & tilt device for a small camera (21mm x 21mm). - I already purchased the camera. The size and and weight of the camera can be viewed on [login to view URL] - They have just one thermal image camera which you can look at on that site or watch youtube reviews. - The camera itself is already waterproof but the aerofoil base will act like a container For miniaturized electric motors and gears , especially when the vehicle is parked or powered off when approaching a car wash, and the camera folds down inside. The Device will be mounted on the roof of a passenger vehicle. The base of the unit may need a silicon gasket to prevent water from entering the vehicle through the installation bolt holes or the wires running through openings into the ceiling of the vehicle. (I am not considering a suction mount at this time because I prefer the Theft prevention security of a bolt on mount) The device should be: IP rated. I'm not sure which IP rating would be most appropriate for a Vehicle roof mounted item which will be exposed hot summer or cold winter conditions from the North to the southern United States, with bolt holes going down through the ceiling, Or for the outer covering which is preventing any water getting to any of the electronics or gears.. I'm open to suggestions but after seeing the final design things can change. - It needs a 180 degree spin from left to forward to right, and possibly a 30 degree tilt up & down for best results and easy installation. - There Is a permanent waterproof wire connected to the back of the camera which would prevent 360 degree rotations. - Best available waterproofing, dust, road debri, rocks or pebbles, snow, ice, heat, Variable temperatures from North to South USA - Hardwired control for power and joystick - Compact design, aerodynamic (For vehicle speeds up to 80 mph / 128km per hour) - Power on, the device unfolds, and rises up and forward from protective cavity (a cover slides to the rear) - Power off, the device folds down into cavity, and returns under protective cover (cover now slides forward) - The included images and video are AI generated mockups. - The base might be wing shaped, or it might be circular as seen in top left, & top right images. Ideal skills and experience: - Experience with waterproof electronics. - Expertise in camera mounting and panning tilting mechanisms. - Ability to design hardwired control systems / joystick with hall effect sensors. - Joystick is preferred for quick access with one hand to operate and spot people / animals and move the joystick without fumbling on a phone or to load or control an app. - I need more information whether the joystick should be analog or digital and I'm open to your opinions, suggestions and any examples that you have experience with in the past. - References to any company that can do the production, assembly, warehouse / drop shipping etc are also appreciated. A wise move when starting a project is to know when and where it'll finish. My number one goal is mapping out the plan where this item can be reproduced again and again. Now that you have seen some ideas of my project, I would like to see example images or videos of products on a similar level of complexity that yoiu have finished and are able to show them operating. If they are operating, were they a combination of 3D printing with motorized gears, wiring, levers, brackets, etc? or were they sent to a factory that does mold making such as [login to view URL] (As an example). On a separate topic I was hoping that people who are interested in this project would be able to find parts such as miniature electric motors and gears from sources that would allow the design to work and be built economically. Even if 3D print was used for a prototype, I believe mass production would require a factory level injection molding company that is also able to use the design files to make molds etc. I have very basic ideas about what I want but any submitted ideas/sources of which factories or electrical motor/joystick companies that I would need to contact is appreciated. For the joystick, I am a fan of "hall effect sensors" which work inside a custom joystick I already own, because they do not touch and therefore have no wear & tear (last a long time). Magnets used in Hall effect sensors are typically high-performance, compact magnets made from rare-earth materials, most commonly Neodymium (NdFeB) or Samarium-Cobalt (SmCo). They are often referred to as sensor magnets, dipole magnets, or specifically as Micro-Magnets™ when designed for high-precision, space-constrained applications. Additionally I was thinking that the pan tilt could use these types of sensors when the camera reaches its limit of swinging to the left right up or down, And remember there is a preattached wire that comes from the camera factory so constant rotation in One Direction would cause the wire to wrap and tangle. Finally to answer any question about vehicle movement, I travel at high speed many days, (80mph / 128kph) For several hours at a time, many times a month. However, The use of the joystick would only be for rotating or tilting the camera at normal city street speeds & stopped, And only if there is a passenger in the car to operate it without any driver distraction. So endurance from weather and high speed is preferred, But drivers should be Instructed not play around while driving.

ID Projek: 40290049

Lokasi: United States