A system for generating panoramic aerial images, comprising: a carrier (106, 206, 506) configured to couple with an unmanned aerial vehicle (102, 202, 502), UAV; an image capturing device (104, 204, 504) configured to couple with the carrier (106, 206, 506), the carrier (106, 206, 506) configured to permit the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) to rotate around at least two orthogonal axes, the at least two orthogonal axes comprising a first axis and a second axis; one or more controllers, collectively or individually, configured to cause the carrier (106, 206, 506) to, while the UAV (102, 202, 502) is hovering near a predetermined location, rotate the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) by a predetermined angle of rotation around the first axis, while the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) captures a plurality of successive images at predetermined intervals; and stabilize the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) such that the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) substantially maintains a predetermined spatial disposition with respect to at least the second axis during the rotation of the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) by the predetermined angle of rotation around the first axis; and one or more processors onboard the UAV (102, 202, 502), collectively or individually, configured to generate a panoramic image based on the plurality of successive images; and one or more UAV sensors directly coupled to the UAV (102, 202, 502) and configured to determine a position, orientation, and/or velocity of the UAV (102, 202, 502); and wherein the carrier (106, 206, 506) comprises one or more carrier sensors configured to detect a position, posture, acceleration, and/or velocity of the carrier (106, 206, 506) or the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) and at least one of the one or more carrier sensors is configured to sample at a higher frequency than at least one of the one or more UAV sensors; and wherein sensor data acquired by the UAV sensors is used to correct sensor data acquired by the carrier sensors and wherein the sensor data from the one or more carrier sensors is used to stabilize the image capturing device. a carrier (106, 206, 506) configured to couple with an unmanned aerial vehicle (102, 202, 502), UAV; an image capturing device (104, 204, 504) configured to couple with the carrier (106, 206, 506), the carrier (106, 206, 506) configured to permit the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) to rotate around at least two orthogonal axes, the at least two orthogonal axes comprising a first axis and a second axis; one or more controllers, collectively or individually, configured to cause the carrier (106, 206, 506) to, while the UAV (102, 202, 502) is hovering near a predetermined location, rotate the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) by a predetermined angle of rotation around the first axis, while the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) captures a plurality of successive images at predetermined intervals; and stabilize the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) such that the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) substantially maintains a predetermined spatial disposition with respect to at least the second axis during the rotation of the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) by the predetermined angle of rotation around the first axis; and rotate the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) by a predetermined angle of rotation around the first axis, while the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) captures a plurality of successive images at predetermined intervals; and stabilize the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) such that the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) substantially maintains a predetermined spatial disposition with respect to at least the second axis during the rotation of the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) by the predetermined angle of rotation around the first axis; and one or more processors onboard the UAV (102, 202, 502), collectively or individually, configured to generate a panoramic image based on the plurality of successive images; and one or more UAV sensors directly coupled to the UAV (102, 202, 502) and configured to determine a position, orientation, and/or velocity of the UAV (102, 202, 502); and wherein the carrier (106, 206, 506) comprises one or more carrier sensors configured to detect a position, posture, acceleration, and/or velocity of the carrier (106, 206, 506) or the image capturing device (104, 204, 504) and at least one of the one or more carrier sensors is configured to sample at a higher frequency than at least one of the one or more UAV sensors; and wherein sensor data acquired by the UAV sensors is used to correct sensor data acquired by the carrier sensors and wherein the sensor data from the one or more carrier sensors is used to stabilize the image capturing device.