Systems, devices, and methods are provided relating to improved mounting platforms for supporting a payload on a movable object. In one aspect, an apparatus for supporting a payload comprises: a first support member coupled to the payload and configured to rotate the payload; a second support member coupled to the first support member and configured to rotate the first support member relative to the second support member; and a flexible member electrically coupling the first and second support members, wherein a length of the flexible member winds around a portion of the first support member or second support member, such that the length winds up around the portion when the first support member is rotated in a first direction and unwinds from the portion when the first support member is rotated in a second direction.

The present invention provides an apparatus and related methods for stabilizing a payload device such an imaging device. The methods and apparatus provide fast response time for posture adjustment of the payload device while reducing the energy used.

A carrier for a movable object to couple a carried object to the movable object, wherein the carrier has at least two rotational axes; wherein a combined rotation about the at least two rotational axes controls an orientation of the carried object or compensates a movement and a vibration of the movable object, so as to stabilize the carried object; wherein an angle formed by the two rotational axes is a non-right angle to reduce a rotation radius of the rotation, thereby reducing an equivalent moment of inertia; and wherein a center of gravity of a load applied on each axis of the two rotational axes coincides with a corresponding axis.

A method and a system for single-shot multi-frame ultrafast terahertz imaging of a scene, the method comprising generating a pump beam and a probe beam: generating a THz beam from the pump beam and passing the THz beam through the scene: multiplexing the probe beam in the time domain and in the spatial-frequency domain, yielding a multiplexed probe beam; detecting a THz beam passing through the scene; guiding the multiplexed probe beam to a THz detection crystal and converting the multiplexed probe beam into mutually orthogonal linear polarized beams; guiding the mutually orthogonal linear polarized beams to a camera; and recovering frames of the scene from multiplexed images acquired by the camera.

A method and a system for single-shot multi-frame ultrafast terahertz imaging of a scene, the method comprising generating a pump beam and a probe beam: generating a THz beam from the pump beam and passing the THz beam through the scene: multiplexing the probe beam in the time domain and in the spatial-frequency domain, yielding a multiplexed probe beam; detecting a THz beam passing through the scene; guiding the multiplexed probe beam to a THz detection crystal and converting the multiplexed probe beam into mutually orthogonal linear polarized beams; guiding the mutually orthogonal linear polarized beams to a camera; and recovering frames of the scene from multiplexed images acquired by the camera.