Technology Description | Market Served | Technical Details | Risk Of Not Owning This IP | Disclosures | Patent Info | Inventor Bio
Introduction
* The only thing that really remains constant in today's world is change. The industry of television and digital video production is one example of that change. Economic uncertainty is another example of change surrounding us, showing itself in our professional and personal activities.
* Economic Uncertainty is the type of change that can make formerly simple business decisions difficult, if not impossible, as 'the old way' of doing things becomes less rational in a new economic and business climate.
* The way to survive change is to invest and prepare for that change. Learning about new technologies, new products and new markets is one way to invest. By spending some time and researching what is coming in our future, what is knocking on the door today, we can invest in that future and prepare for continuing change.
* To prepare for the changes that always come in today's changing world, we must invest our time for research, we must invest in new tools to become more productive and more competitive, and we must often invest in new business relationships.
Technology Description
* A portfolio of patents defines and protects an entire new Product Form within the Camera Support product category. The title "Operator Supported Remote Camera Positioning and Control System" is shortened to "Hand Held Camera Crane" for brevity.
* The difference between this and earlier/existing technologies is to allow a broad variety of Camera Support and Moving Camera benefits to the end user. This includes not only horizontal motion, but also substantial vertical camera motion, modern or oblique camera positioning, all with a single tool used by a single operator.
* As an added benefit, the compact remote camera head allows for confined space operation such as narrow-pass-through shots that not possible with currently available body mounted stabilizer technology.
* This technology combines the historically separate Camera Support tools of the camera crane and the body mounted stabilizer into a single tool with all the mobility of a hand held system, while needing none of the extra crew, labor or time typically required for camera crane and/or dolly/track systems.
* Existing hand held and body mounted camera support/stabilizing products lack a substantial ability to move the camera vertically. This emerging technology naturally lends itself to unprecedented freedom of both horizontal and vertical Moving Camera with Hand Held mobility, allowing an added dimension in visual storytelling without large or cumbersome cranes, dolly tracks and associated time, labor and expense.
* Multi-axis articulation at the camera end of the beam allows for traditional (level horizon) camera support/motion as well as modern camera style (tilted horizon, oblique camera).
* The unique and patented remote camera head design of this technology allows for balancing the payload (camera) substantially along the central axis of the extremely stiff, lightweight support beam. This gives the advantage of allowing the camera to look over the beam or under it without requiring any physical change in the system configuration. It may be held at any angle and swung through any arc without adverse effect. And it is easy to move, since it only weighs a few pounds.
* Unlike simplistic body mounted Camera Support systems or devices, this technology allows the operator to hold the system and position the camera in, or move it through any physical orientation in space without adverse effect on Camera Support performance. This is possible by means of the high stiffness and extremely low weight of the structure.
* This IP covers a degree of product functionality that was conceptualized, developed, iterated, expanded, refined, and then completely and extensively captured in broad claims language. This is not piecemeal functionality from one or two features. It is extravagant functionality derived from extensive conceptual design and field testing.
* In motion image production, the shooting phase is the most expensive phase of the production process. By consolidating Camera Support tools during shooting, this technology can bring significant savings to the shooting effort. Just imagine native vertical camera motion and complex camera motion, both combined in a Hand Held platform that allows extended reach/placement of the camera.
* Effective, efficient and versatile, this technology delivers extravagant Camera Support and Camera Positioning functionality, saving shooting time and saving money.
Action-Sports Prototype, Circa 2003
* An action-sports and music video prototype, circa 2003, is shown in the following clips. For the action-sports application, light weight and compact design are exploited to obtain very high manuverability. A Toshiba IK-TU40 'ice cube' camera detector and c-mount lens are nested in a composite pan-tilt head. Snap-together chain drive allows very light weight protection from over-torque damage to the expensive motion control gear boxes.
These files are all less than 5 Mb in size.
Rear Grip | Handle & Grips | Beam & Remote Head | Remote Head 1 | Remote Head 2 | Remote Head 3 | Remote Head 4 | Remote Head 5 | Remote Head 6
* The entire front-end assembly of this prototype, including the tripod support structure and all cables contained within, weighs approximately 14 ounces (400 grams). The triangular beam section is 5 feet (1.5 meters) long and weighs only a few ounces, with carbon/epoxy longerons and shear plates, titanium threaded lugs, resilient expanded polyproplyene walls and Kevlar (TM) reinforcing to protect the carbon/epoxy structure.
* This prototype has a very durable structure, field-tested to survive the rough conditions of action-sports. The titanium bumper rings around the moving portion of the remote head protect the critical composite components. The low profile of this design is good for live event work such as concerts. The rig can be manuvered near and around the performers and through the audience without bothering them.