 |
A cable-suspended camera system is a system of cables above or along an area to be filmed or videoed, over or along which an attached camera head travels to achieve required camera angles.
There are two broad types cable-suspended camera systems: fixed-cable and moving-cable types.
In fixed-cable type cable-suspended camera systems, the cable is attached at fixed anchor points and a motorized camera head travels along the fixed cable. This kind of system can be advantageous over longer distances and where it might be difficult to set up winches with moving cables, or in no fly zones. Some use cases have a camera head running along the ground in trolley mode for a kind of tracking shot.
In recent years, fixed-cable suspended camera systems has become popular for professional live TV broadcast and film production to shoot sport and entertainment events. A widely used system is the Defy Dactylcam, which travels along the cable with a motor, and the Newton stabilized camera head [1] which controls the camera and lens. This system is for example used at the live TV broadcast of Major League Baseball, UEFA (football), track and field, concerts and ski competitions.
There has also been an upsurge of low budget amateur cablecam systems for action cameras and even cellphones that is used for: amateur sports videos, hobby video, lower budget film and video, photography, and motion time-lapse footage.
Companies selling fixed-cable suspended camera systems include: Newton Nordic, [2] Flyline, [3] Defy Products, [4] High Sight, [5] Wiral [6] and Syrp. [7]
In moving-cable type cable-suspended camera systems, cables are attached to winches at their ends to allow movement of an attached camera head between multiple cables. There are several variants of moving-cable type cable-suspended camera systems, including:
3D moving-cable type cable-suspended camera systems, a.k.a. suspended flying camera systems, are used by broadcasters and video production companies to create dynamic video footage of sporting events and cultural events like concerts. They are a type of cable robot.
Advantages include reducing or eliminating the need for crane shots, using camera cranes or jibs that might obstruct spectator sight lines or take up valuable space or interfere with a shot.
Commercial 3D moving-cable type cable-suspended camera systems include: Spydercam, SkyCam, Spidercam, and RobyCam 3D. [8]
Events that have been photographed using 3D moving-cable type cable-suspended camera systems include: NFL games (e.g., when the Skycam captured the Chicago Bears' Cordarrelle Patterson's 102-yard kickoff return touchdown on October 20, 2019), [9] WWE matches, Tennis, Cricket, Rugby, Soccer, concerts (Spidercam), [10] swimming and esports (RobyCam). [11]
2D moving-cable type cable-suspended camera systems typically move in the horizontal (X) and vertical (Z) planes are used by broadcasters and video production companies to create dynamic video footage where other types of systems are impractical or impossible to set up because of venue/location.
Commercial 2D moving-cable type cable-suspended camera systems include the RobyCam 2D [12] and CamCat's CamCat 2D. [13] and the RTS RopeClimber [14] that has for example been used at the Oscars 2019 and 2020 [15]
Point-to-point moving-cable type cable-suspended camera systems are used to draw a camera head or dolly between two fixed points. These systems tend to move faster than 3D and 2D systems and are thus used for sports where speed is a factor like horse-racing, skiing and extreme sports.
Commercial point-to-point (1D) moving-cable type cable-suspended camera systems include Robyline (used at Biathlon World Cup, FIS Alpine Ski World Cup [16] and Supercoppa Italiana [17] )
In cinematography, a tracking shot is any shot where the camera follows backward, forward or moves alongside the subject being recorded. Often the camera is mounted on a camera dolly which rides on rails similar to a railroad track; in this case, the shot is referred to as a dolly shot. A handheld steadycam or gimbal may also be used for smaller scale productions. The camera is then pushed along the track while the scene is being filmed, or moved manually when using a handheld rig. The effect can be used to create a sense of movement, to follow a character or object, or a sense of immersion to draw the viewer into the action.
A platformer is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels with uneven terrain and suspended platforms of varying height that require jumping and climbing to traverse. Other acrobatic maneuvers may factor into the gameplay, such as swinging from vines or grappling hooks, jumping off walls, gliding through the air, or bouncing from springboards or trampolines.
A webcam is a video camera which is designed to record or stream to a computer or computer network. They are primarily used in video telephony, live streaming and social media, and security. Webcams can be built-in computer hardware or peripheral devices, and are commonly connected to a device using USB or wireless protocols.
A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not imply that a male is performing the task.
2.5D perspective refers to gameplay or movement in a video game or virtual reality environment that is restricted to a two-dimensional (2D) plane with little or no access to a third dimension in a space that otherwise appears to be three-dimensional and is often simulated and rendered in a 3D digital environment.
A helmet camera, otherwise known as a micro video camera, is an action camera, usually a closed circuit television camera, attached to a helmet allowing someone to make a visual record from their point of view (POV), while keeping their hands and vision free.
A stereo camera is a type of camera with two or more lenses with a separate image sensor or film frame for each lens. This allows the camera to simulate human binocular vision, and therefore gives it the ability to capture three-dimensional images, a process known as stereo photography. Stereo cameras may be used for making stereoviews and 3D pictures for movies, or for range imaging. The distance between the lenses in a typical stereo camera is about the distance between one's eyes and is about 6.35 cm, though a longer base line produces more extreme 3-dimensionality.
3D scanning is the process of analyzing a real-world object or environment to collect three dimensional data of its shape and possibly its appearance. The collected data can then be used to construct digital 3D models.
A SnorriCam is a camera device used in filmmaking that is rigged to the body of the actor, with the camera facing the actor directly so that they appear in a fixed position in the center of the frame. A SnorriCam presents a dynamic, disorienting point of view from the actor's perspective, providing an unusual sense of vertigo for the viewer.
Skycam is a computer-controlled, stabilized, cable-suspended camera system. The system is maneuvered through three dimensions in the open space over a playing area of a stadium or arena by computer-controlled cable-drive system. It is responsible for bringing video game–like camera angles to television sports coverage. The camera package weighs less than 14 kilograms (31 lb) and can travel at 13 m/s (29 mph).
The following are common definitions related to the machine vision field.
Image stabilization (IS) is a family of techniques that reduce blurring associated with the motion of a camera or other imaging device during exposure.
InspecVision Ltd. is a UK engineering company based in Mallusk, Northern Ireland, established in 2003. It is a manufacturing company that produces computer vision inspection systems. The company is one of several local companies created as spinoffs or inspired by research conducted at the Queen's University of Belfast.
A vision-guided robot (VGR) system is basically a robot fitted with one or more cameras used as sensors to provide a secondary feedback signal to the robot controller to more accurately move to a variable target position. VGR is rapidly transforming production processes by enabling robots to be highly adaptable and more easily implemented, while dramatically reducing the cost and complexity of fixed tooling previously associated with the design and set up of robotic cells, whether for material handling, automated assembly, agricultural applications, life sciences, and more.
The Spidercam is a cable-suspended camera system which enables film and television cameras to move both vertically and horizontally over a predetermined area, typically the playing field of a sporting event such as a cricket pitch, football field or a tennis court. The name Spidercam is a trademark. The Spidercam system is modeled after Skycam, which preceded it, having been invented in the United States in 1984.
In 3D video games, a virtual camera system aims at controlling a camera or a set of cameras to display a view of a 3D virtual world. Camera systems are used in video games where their purpose is to show the action at the best possible angle; more generally, they are used in 3D virtual worlds when a third-person view is required.
The MineCam is a remote exploration camera built by I.A.Recordings. It is used for mine shaft exploration and other similar environments. It was originally conceptualized in 1988, and since went under several design revisions. The name MineCam, is a pun on MiniCam, an early hand-held broadcast camera built by CBS Laboratories.
The D5000 is a 12.3-megapixel DX-format DSLR Nikon F-mount camera, announced by Nikon on 14 April 2009. The D5000 has many features in common with the D90. It features a 2.7-inch 230,000-dot resolution tilt-and-swivel LCD monitor, live view, ISO 200–3200, 3D tracking Multi-CAM1000 11-point AF system, active D-Lighting system and automatic correction of lateral chromatic aberration. The D5000 seems to have been discontinued in November 2010.
A variety of computer graphic techniques have been used to display video game content throughout the history of video games. The predominance of individual techniques have evolved over time, primarily due to hardware advances and restrictions such as the processing power of central or graphics processing units.
A Refcam is a special type of broadcast point-of-view camera used in sports and worn by a referee or umpire during the game.