Aspen Lub Taub Hau Tripod by Colorado Tripod Company

Aspen Lub Taub Hau Tripod by Colorado Tripod Company is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award Nyiaj in Tsim Koob Yees Duab thiab Khoom Siv Yees Duab Competition Category.

NyiajKhoom Siv Yees Duab· 2021

Aspen Lub Taub Hau Tripod

by Colorado Tripod Company

Client: Colorado Tripod Company

A' Design Award Nyiaj Winner in Khoom Siv Yees Duab Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Aspen Lub Taub Hau Tripod

Aspen yog ib lub taub hau tripod uas tsim los ua kom yooj yim rau kev sau duab. Ib lub thav qhib ua rau lub koob yees duab uas txuas rau nws tig tau ntau tshaj 90 degrees rau ob sab, ua kom hloov tau sai ntawm kev ntsia toj roob hauv pes thiab kev ntsia neeg tsis tas yuav siv cov L-brackets uas loj. Lub pob zeb muaj lub plawv khoob nrog cov qhov uas txo cov hnyav thaum tseem khaws tau lub zog. Ib tug lever clamp uas kho tau tuav tau ntau yam camera plates, ib qho friction control teeb tsa qhov drag, thiab ib qho panning lock tso cai rau kev tig puv kom sau tau cov duab panoramic. Aspen tau ua los ntawm hard anodized aluminum.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Nyiaj

Aspen Lub Taub Hau Tripod yog tus yeej ntawm A' Design Award Nyiaj, ib qho kev lees paub muaj meej mom heev tshaj li qub uas muab rau cov qauv tsim qib siab, zoo nkauj thiab ua rau neeg xav tsis thoob. Cov neeg yeej Nyiaj yog cov haujlwm ci ntsa iab heev thiab tsim tshiab heev uas qhia txog kev paub, kev txawj ntse thiab kev ntse ntawm cov kws tsim qauv. Aspen Lub Taub Hau Tripod xav tias yuav yog ib qho haujlwm zoo kawg nkaus uas tsim rau qhia, tshaj lij heev thiab tsim tshiab tob. Cov qauv tsim yeej A' Design Award Nyiaj no yog ib qho khoom tsim uas pom tseeb heev thiab neeg qhuas uas pab tau thiab nthuav dav ciam teb ntawm kev kos duab, kev tshawb fawb, kev tsim qauv thiab thev naus laus zis. Aspen Lub Taub Hau Tripod yog ib qho khoom tsim uas neeg coob xav tau, uas ua rau xav, coj kev xav zoo thiab ua rau xav tsis thoob thiab xav paub.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The Aspen tripod head provides photographers with a large range of motion to simplify photograph composition. An open frame design allows an attached camera to rotate well beyond 90 degrees in both directions for quick adjustments in both landscape or portrait orientations. The ball features a hollow core with holes to reduce weight while maintaining strength and the adjustable lever clamp offers a quick and secure attachment to a wide range of camera plates.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width: 134 mm x Depth: 55 mm x Height: 95 mm
Weight: 440 g
Ball Diameter: 48 mm
Load Capacity: 13.6 kg
Tags: tripod head, ball head, camera support, tripod, photography accessory
Production Technology: The Aspen is constructed primarily from aluminum 6061 which is hard anodized for increased scratch and corrosion resistance. Stainless steel and bronze are also utilized for interacting threaded parts. All parts are CNC machined with either live-tooling lathes or 5-axis mills and the machining process was fine-tuned over many iterations to optimize tolerances and fit. The custom locking knob is constructed of an injected molded rubber to improve feel and ergonomics.
Design Challenge: In order to maximize range of motion, an open framed design was chosen for the Aspen. However, the construction proved difficult to ensure proper locking force and rigidity. The locking pads have much less surface area than traditional ball heads, so a number of pad shapes and materials were tested to optimize the locking mechanism. The surface finish of the anodized ball also proved to be a factor in the locking force. Additionally, the correct tolerances of the interacting parts was difficult, as a balance between tight fit and smooth movement was needed to achieve the end result.
Research: A wide variety of competitor references were studied for load capacity, vibration dampening, material selection, weight and mechanical operation. Various test rigs were created to acquire data in addition to disassembly and reconstruction of parts. A weight gauge was created to measure the max load of ball heads at various locations of load relative to the center of the ball. A vibration dampening and rigidity test was created using gyroscope and accelerometer devices attached to the ball heads. Using the data, our design team gained insight into the mechanisms and features that create a high-strength, rigid, low-weight tripod head. Range of motion was also evaluated in all of the tripod heads reviewed to ensure the Aspen exceeded the limits of traditional ball heads.
Inspiration: The Aspen design is centered around increasing range of motion to simplify the process of compositional framing for photographers who need to align their cameras quickly. The open frame construction eliminates the need to adjust the tripod legs to level the camera and makes bulky L-brackets unnecessary for switching from landscape to portrait orientations.
Project Duration: The project started in 2018 and finished in early 2020 with all design, prototyping and manufacturing taking place in Denver, Colorado, USA. The product officially launched in July 2020.
Operation Flow: A camera is mounted on the adjustable lever clamp that is attached to the Aspen hollow ball. When adjustments are needed for compositional framing, the locking knob is released and the camera is rotated into position about the center axis of the ball and then re-locked. The friction control sets drag on the ball when moving freely for a customized experience. A panning lock can be tightened or loosened to create a secure lock or to rotate the ball head 360 degrees for panoramic photographs.
Patents: Patent Pending. Application Number 29725750. David Graham Clark. 2020. USA
Team Members: Colorado Tripod Company