Zagreb-based StypeGrip provides hardware and software for realtime augmented reality and virtual studio broadcasting, and has already been used for live sports OB productions, news and elections.
Its Stype kit hardware add-on for Stanton’s Jimmy Jib turns it into an encoded camera crane, which tracks the pan/tilt/roll of the head, focus and zoom, and pan/tilt of the crane’s arm. If the crane is on a moving dolly it will also track this positional data. This data is sent in realtime to a render engine, such as Vizrt, Orad or custom engines, to create accurate virtual studios and augmented reality sets.
The system includes an automatic aiming and focusing option, and operators can lock the target in the scene and move the camera crane while the camera stays focused on the target at all times.
The 11.5kg system offers: eight channels of encoder input; a max head speed of 90º per second; max head payload of 22.6kg; camera tilt and pan angles of 360º; exponential, averaging and acceleration limit ramping modes; auto aiming; and auto focusing. It is claimed to takes less than 30 minutes for the first setup, and five minutes for re-calibration.
