BVE 2015: Mark Roberts Motion Control to show automated studio system

Mark Roberts Motion Control will show an example of its automated studio system with live presenter tracking at BVE 2015 next week. A collaboration with Nikon, it will be located on the Nikon stand J06, and will consist of a StudioBot running on rails and three automated remote heads all mounted with Nikon DSLR cameras with teleprompters and other studio equipment in an automated studio setup.

As a further enhancement to the system live presenter tracking will be demonstrated where the cameras will automatically track multiple presenters walking around the studio area. This could apply particularly in the case of the studio being used for low-cost productions. This would allow, for example, a presenter or a couple of presenters sitting in front of cameras, to select for themselves who the cameras should follow, or they could press a button for the cameras to go to a preset position. The presenters could be standing or walking.

The system offers several control options using touch screens including simple iPhone or iPad apps, as well as full joystick panels. This type of operation also offers additional creativity again on lower budget productions of bringing additional cameras into use not normally within that budget level.

Mark Roberts Motion Control has supplied robotics for a number of Nikon projects including the studio automation at London Live.

Bryn Balcombe, technology director at London Live, said: WWe wanted to design a studio utilising advances in technology now available to allow high quality programme production at a lower cost and overhead than ever before. The automated camera systems from Mark Roberts Motion Control have been integral in this. The system has been in use 24/7 now for a year and is a key element of our success. We have laid the foundations today for a fully autonomous and reactive studio environment of the future.”

“Our motion control software is tracking-agnostic, so it can be interfaced to many tracking systems,” said Assaff Rawner, managing director of Mark Roberts Motion Control. “For example we have interfaced with various sports tracking systems including football, horse racing and tennis, as well as studio based tracking systems like the one shown at BVE.”

The Nikons used at London Live are D4S DSLRs. These are large-format sensor cameras that produce a shallow depth of field to give a more cinematic look. Zoom and focus are all computer-controlled and fully integrated with the rest of the robotic system.