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Aspen Isi Ihe Ọ Na-arụ: Isi Tripod by Colorado Tripod Company

Aspen Isi Ihe Ọ Na-arụ: Isi Tripod by Colorado Tripod Company is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha in Nhazi Igwe Foto na Ngwá Ọrụ Ise Foto Competition Category.


ỌlaọchaNgwá Ọrụ Ise Foto· 2021

Aspen Isi Ihe Ọ Na-arụ: Isi Tripod

by Colorado Tripod Company

Client: Colorado Tripod Company

Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha Winner in Ngwá Ọrụ Ise Foto Category

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The Design

About Aspen Isi Ihe Ọ Na-arụ: Isi Tripod

Aspen bụ isi tripod e mere iji mee ka nhazi foto dịrị mfe. Etiti ghere oghe na-enye ohere ka igwefoto e jikọtara na ya tụgharịa karịa digrii 90 n'akụkụ abụọ, na-enye mgbanwe ngwa ngwa n'etiti nhazi ala na nhazi ihu mmadụ na-enweghị mkpa maka L-bracket buru ibu. Bọọlụ ahụ nwere etiti oghere nke nwere oghere na-ebelata ibu ma na-echekwa ike ya. Ngwaọrụ lever mgbanwe na-ejide efere igwefoto dị iche iche, njikwa mkpọtụ na-edozi ọdịda, na mkpọchi ntụgharị na-enye ohere ntụgharị zuru ezu maka foto panorama. A na-emepụta Aspen site na aluminom siri ike nke anodized.

The Recognition

About the Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha

Aspen Isi Ihe Ọ Na-arụ: Isi Tripod meriri A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha, nnabata dị oke ugwu e nyere design ndị dị n'ọkwa kachasị elu, mara mma ma na-eju anya. Ndị meriri na Ọlaọcha bụ ọrụ na-egbu maramara nke ukwuu ma dị oke nzụlite nke na-egosi ọmarịcha ihe ọmụma, talent na nghọta nke ndị designer ha. A na-atụ anya na Aspen Isi Ihe Ọ Na-arụ: Isi Tripod ga-abụ ọrụ dị ịtụnanya, ihe nlereanya, nke dị oke ọrụ ma dị omimi n'ihe ọhụrụ. Design a meriri A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha bụ ihe e mepụtara dị oke ịrịba ama, nke a na-eto nke na-erite uru ma na-ebuga oke nka, sayensị, design na teknụzụ n'ihu. Aspen Isi Ihe Ọ Na-arụ: Isi Tripod bụ ihe e kere eke ọtụtụ ndị na-ekwo ekworo ya nke na-akpali ọchịchọ, na-eweta mmetụta ọma ma na-akpali ịtụnanya.

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

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