The cliffhanger action of Super Bowl XLII was captured in HD in part, by Ikegami’s HDL-50 one-piece full-digital native multiformat POV (point-of-view) cameras.
Deployed throughout the University of Phoenix Stadium by robotic camera specialists Robo-Vision, the Ikegami HDL-50s with CMOS imaging technology were central to an innovative new robotic pan/tilt system on both goalposts.
The one-piece design, extremely compact profile, and precise HD imagery of the Ikegami HDL-50 cameras made them integral to the pioneering system developed by Robo-Vision in conjunction with Movie Engineering, according to Jim Warden, president and CEO of Robo-Vision. “Combining the Ikegami cameras with the new robotic pan/tilt system was very advantageous for covering the Super Bowl,” Warden said. “Using this technology, there’s no delay like there often is for joystick-based systems. You can set up exactly as a cameraman, but from a remote location.”
Seven Ikegami HDL-50 cameras were employed by Robo-Vision at the Super Bowl, providing POV from the goalposts, locker room hallways, and other locations where placing a full-size HD camera would have been difficult or impossible. In all, Robo-Vision has recently added 20 Ikegami HDL-50’s to its equipment list, for coverage of NASCAR, Indy Car, Formula One, truck racing, and other thrilling events.
“Our relationship with Ikegami is built on trust, going back to 1993,” Warden said. “Ikegami has helped us every step of the way to make our company so successful. We really abuse the equipment with the projects that we do. On the race track our robotic cameras are sandblasted, pelted with tar and grit, and they continue to keep working.”
