At SMPTE Toronto’s first meeting of its 1997/98 season, Reid Robertson of the Toronto Section arranged for a look at Canadian innovations in the area of camera motion systems.

Canadians have a long history of innovation in this area and the 50 members who gathered at Panasonic in Mississauga, Ont. were treated to presentations from Wescam, Fly’n Gate and TetherCam, all Canadian companies and all innovators in this field. Following is an account of the TetherCam presentation.

TetherCam

Ian Carwardine’s idea for TetherCam came about from research that had been conducted as the result of a failed airship effort. TetherCam employs a helium-filled, custom-made aerostat (tethered aerodynamic balloon) 50 feet long by 18 feet high that suspends a Wescam over an event.

The aerostat is connected to the ground by a tether cable, which delivers both control and power to the Wescam. The tether also returns the camera image and other information to the ground. The aerostat itself also serves as a prime advertising medium at an event, and it’s these advertising dollars which are TetherCam’s prime source of income.

The small balloon that Carwardine continues to refine can be flown up to 700 feet with the tether cable attached. It operates silently and can be operational within two hours of arriving at an event. It’s attached to a golf cart on the ground so it can be relocated as required. The camera images are returned to the ground via a fiber-optic cable

Camera control, which originates on the ground, is achieved through specially designed hand-held and foot-operated controls.

TetherCam has a long and growing list of credits. Golf, football and auto-racing coverage have been among its most recent credits. Carwardine’s business plan is to have 10 of these systems operational by the end of 1998.

Carwardine is also discovering that the aerostat he’s developed is generating interest for surveillance applications from the military and police.

TetherCam can be reached at (613) 723-1428 or via e-mail at teathercam@sympatico.ca.

At the conclusion of the Toronto Section meeting it was evident that camera mounting systems continue to evolve. They’ve moved beyond the tripod, track and crane systems, and with systems like Steadicam having since found their way into common use, it’s comforting to see that Canadian innovation is providing the tools that will form the base of tomorrow’s visual fabric.

(Brad Fortner of the Rogers Communications Centre, Ryerson Polytechnic University, Toronto, is promotions advisor for the Toronto Section of smpte.)