TECHNOLOGY

The defining success of ROBOCAMpro is it’s central, hollow post. This square-shaped, extendable upright is gripped by the camera cart on opposing, diagonal corners. The camera cart runs freely up and down the post on four precision machined, countersunk wheels. And it has a tilting plate with a powerful actuator which tilts the camera forward and backwards. The camera can then be tilted up and down, panned left and right while rising or falling. Not only that, the central post can also rotate 360, degrees continuously thanks to a powerful small motor inside its base and a custom contact circuit.

Where most cranes and jib arms need to have a corresponding arm to counterweight the camera (which takes up double the space) and requires weights of up to four to five times the weight of the camera ROBOCAMpro has a counterweight system that runs via cable straight down the throat of the central upright requiring only an equivalent weight to the camera.

With three legs at the base extending out to roughly 50cm, the entire device can fit into the smallest of places. With the camera mounted and the remote controllers in use, the camera operator can simply walk away and control ROBOCAMpro from a more convenient location. The creative possibilities of this are endless.

The three support legs can be easily switched between tripod and dolly mode by turning them up one way or the other. This takes less than a minute as they simply slide out. In tripod mode, lockable castor wheels means the device can be easily moved to the next set up and stabilized. There is simply no need to remove the camera or switch to a standard tripod.

Each leg has two dolly wheels and a caster wheel. However, one of the legs also has a motor. This means that the ROBOCAMpro can be remotely tracked forwards and backwards at the desired speed using the remote controller or the software. This means, you can create the most stylized of shots, moving perfectly and uniformly in all directions possible, time and time again. No longer will you have to worry about the operator bumping the dolly or making a mistake. And with that out of the way, you can concentrate on other things.

ROBOCAMpro has a remote control included in the remote package which enables the operator to customize is functions to the individual, for example reversing the direction of each motor, or individually to suit. The custom electronics in the base are programmed to seamlessly ramp the speed up and down to ensure smooth movements while still remaining responsive. Batteries are contained in one of the three legs and will last for at least 12 hours of normal operation, the batteries are nickel metal hydrate which have no memory effects so can be recharged at any point.