Body-Mounted Camera Crane with Counterbalancing and Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing body-mounted camera support systems require high skill and physical strength, limit movement range, and cause operator fatigue due to uneven weight distribution, which complicates camera maneuverability.
Innovation Solution
A hip or body-mounted camera crane with a pivotally attached camera platform, adjustable length tubes, and a hip belt for balanced weight distribution, along with fluid dampeners and optional parallelogram linkage for automatic leveling, allowing for a wide range of movements and positions with reduced operator effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the camera is supported close to the operator's body using body-mounted systems, then camera stability is improved, but the operator requires high physical strength and skill to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs counterbalancing mechanisms where weights are positioned on the opposite side of the camera to offset its mass. This creates a balanced system that reduces the physical strength needed to support and maneuver the camera while maintaining stability during operator movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional shoulder-mounted or handheld configurations to a hip-mounted system with extended arms that operate in multiple dimensions. This allows the camera to be positioned at various heights and angles while maintaining balance through the hip belt anchor point, reducing the skill required to achieve proper positioning.
2Length of moving object
If the camera is held several meters away from the operator using pole-cam systems, then extended reach is achieved, but stabilizing function is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses counterbalancing weights positioned on the accessory platform to offset the camera's weight at the far end of the extended arms. This allows the camera to be held several meters away from the operator's body while maintaining stability through the counterbalancing effect, combining the reach of pole-cam systems with the stabilization of body-mounted systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs adjustable arm lengths and movable counterbalance weights that can be dynamically repositioned based on camera weight and desired reach distance. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to maintain optimal stability across varying operational conditions while preserving extended reach.
3Device complexity
If a large fraction of the camera and system load is carried on the operator's shoulders and back, then structural support is simplified, but operator fatigue increases and camera maneuverability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent redistributes the load from the vertical axis (shoulders and back) to the hip region, utilizing the operator's hip belt as the primary support point. This dimensional shift in load bearing anatomy reduces fatigue in the upper body while maintaining structural support simplicity through the hip-mounted configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent positions counterbalance weights on the accessory platform to offset the camera and system load, significantly reducing the net weight carried by the operator. This counterbalancing effect decreases operator fatigue while maintaining the simplicity of the support structure.
4Ease of manufacture
If the tube length is fixed in body-mounted camera systems, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to different camera weights and positions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces fixed-length tubes with telescopic or adjustable-length tubes that can be extended or reconfigured based on camera weight and desired positioning. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the same system to accommodate various camera configurations while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing through standardized adjustable components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy operation with less skill and strength, providing stable and balanced camera movements across various positions and angles, reducing operator fatigue and improving maneuverability.
Implementation Method 1
Fluid dampeners may be used and optionally made adjustable to improve the camera operator's control of the movement of the camera crane
Implementation Method 2
a parallelogram linkage may be used to provide automatic leveling
Implementation Method 3
the camera is supported on a gimbal with springs and dampening elements used to provide smooth movements and neutral buoyancy
Implementation Method 4
springs and dampening elements used to provide smooth movements and neutral buoyancy
Data Source
AI summary
A body-mount camera crane includes a camera platform pivotally attached to the front ends of the left and right tubes and an accessory platform pivotally attached to the back ends of the left and right tubes. A hip belt is pivotally attached to the left and right tubes at an intermediate position. In use, the crane is supported largely on the operator's hips via the hip belt. The elevation of the lens is changed by pivoting the crane up and down. The operator correspondingly pivots the camera platform to keep the camera level. Alternatively a parallelogram linkage keeps the camera platform level. The length of the tubes may be adjusted based on the weights of the camera and the accessories, such as batteries, on the accessory platform, to keep the crane balanced.