Aspen Umutwe wa Tripod by Colorado Tripod Company

Aspen Umutwe wa Tripod by Colorado Tripod Company is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza in Ibikoresho by'Ifotora Competition Category.

IfezaIbikoresho by'Ifotora· 2021

Aspen Umutwe wa Tripod

by Colorado Tripod Company

Client: Colorado Tripod Company

Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza Winner in Ibikoresho by'Ifotora Category

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Colors

The Design

About Aspen Umutwe wa Tripod

Aspen ni umutwe wa tripod wagenewe koroshya ihuzabishushanyo ry'amafoto. Ikadiri ifunguye ituma kamera yometse ishobora kuzunguruka irenze dogere 90 mu byerekezo byombi, bituma hahinduka vuba hagati y'icyerekezo cy'ubugari (landscape) n'icy'uburebure (portrait) nta bikoresho binini bya L-brackets. Umupira ufite hagati harimo ubwihereranyo hamwe n'udushinyagurizo dugabanya uburemere ariko dukomeza imbaraga. Igishinyagurizo gishobora guhindurwa (adjustable lever clamp) gifata ibyapa bya kamera bitandukanye byinshi, igenzura ry'urukurikirane (friction control) rishyiraho ubwinshi bw'ubwikorezi, kandi ifunga ry'izunguruka (panning lock) rituma habaho izunguruka rikuzuye kugira ngo hafatwe amafoto ya panoramic. Aspen ikorwa ku buryo bwa mashini ikoresheje aluminiyumu ikomeye ya anodized.

The Recognition

About the Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza

Aspen Umutwe wa Tripod ni uwegukanye Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza, ishimwe ridasanzwe ry'agaciro gakomeye ritangwa ku bishushanyo byo ku rwego rwo hejuru, byiza kandi bikora ku mutima. Abegukanye Ifeza ni ibihangano by'ubuhanga bukomeye kandi bifite guhanga kwinshi, bigaragaza ubuhanga bwimbitse, impano n'ubushishozi bw'ababihanze. Aspen Umutwe wa Tripod biteganyijwe ko izaba igihangano cy'icyitegererezo, gifite ubunyamwuga bukomeye n'udushya twimbitse. Iki gishushanyo cyegukanye Ifeza ni igihangano kizwi kandi gishimwa, gifasha kugura imbibi z'ubuhanzi, ubumenyi, ubushushanyo n'ikoranabuhanga. Aspen Umutwe wa Tripod ni igihangano benshi bifuza, gikangura ibyifuzo, gitanga amarangamutima meza kandi gitera igitangaza.

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