What I want to do

Build a cheap picavet to stabilise the camera for kite mapping (or balloon mapping). (a picavet is a platform suspended by several strings that hangs in such a way that it stabilises itself according to gravity; i.e. it 'absorbs and adjusts to' jerky movements and thus acts as a kind of 'movement buffer' so that one gets less blurry pictures)

My attempt and results

Cut out a ~120x120 mm cross-shaped piece of plywood.

The inner part of the shape has a jagged platform for securing the camera using elastic bands (the jagged edge helps secure the elastic bands). Then made holes at then ends of each 'arm' using a small nail (&hammer), followed by screwing in screws with loops at the end. Also put in 2 nails on the top part of the platform to secure elastic bands. Used the following site to set up the strings properly: http://aggle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/balloon-borne-camera-part-3-stringing.html

Attached the picavet using carabiners to 2 loops on the string holding the kite (approx. 20 m from the kite). Also used a kitchen clip to keep the strings in order during transport and storage:

Questions and next steps

I want to make the same picavet with real pulleys instead of the screws with loops. This will increase the price, but I suspect it will make the picavet stabilise more quickly and evenly (i.e. increase its 'movement buffering' capacity).