ZDF turns to Robycam cable camera system for Germany v Brazil coverage
In order to produce the international football match between Germany and Brazil on March 27 at Berlin Olympics Stadium, ZDF used Robycam for image composition along with augmented reality elements.
During the friendly ZDF used the Robycam system along with a Broadcast Solutions production team. Together with augmented reality elements, implemented by the graphics service provider netventure production, new graphic elements could be inserted during the camera’s movement in the stadium.
The Robycam signals — including the actual location data in the stadium — and the virtual graphics of netventure were mapped in the computer and then sent. Using these innovative tools, ZDF was able to offer its viewers additional content and information, even while moving the cable camera system in the stadium.
The football match was not the first use of Robycam for ZDF. The German broadcaster used the system during the production of ‘Mainz Celebrates’ on the occasion of the Day of German Unity 2017 and early 2018 during the Biathlon World Cup in Ruhpolding.
Robycam is a cable camera system that enables gyro stabilised 3D camera movements. The system allows movements in all three axes: Pan, Tilt, Roll. All three axes are stabilised.
There is also an auto-horizon feature that makes the image absolutely stable in wind or swings. Unlike other systems on the market, Robycam has a fifth winch that carries the fibre-optic cable in master-slave mode. As a result, using the Polyspast mode the system is more variable in height.
The Robycam system uses four automatic winches, controlled in real time, and a motion control system that allows millimetre-accurate and fast camera shots with up to 8 ms in all axes. The largest system has an operating range of up to 250 m x 250 m and more. Robycam is fully redundant (UPS units on each computer) and has all necessary certifications of DGUV17/18 (formerly BGV-C1) to be used above people.
The next use of the system is planned for the SportsInnovation 2018 (8-9 May) event in Düsseldorf. During the event and in front of numerous media and club representatives the Robycam system will perform the camera flights of the test matches in the Düsseldorf ESPRIT Arena. Two days earlier (May 6) and in the same stadium, Robycam will produced the flying cable camera pictures during the 2nd league football-match Fortuna Dusseldorf vs Holstein Kiel.