Aspen 三脚架云台 by Colorado Tripod Company is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award 银奖 in 相机与摄影器材设计 Competition Category.
银摄影器材· 2021
Aspen 三脚架云台
Client: Colorado Tripod Company
A' Design Award 银奖 Winner in 摄影器材 Category
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- Verified Award Winner
- Verify Award Status for #108315
The Design
About Aspen 三脚架云台
Aspen 是一款旨在简化摄影构图的三脚架云台。开放式框架结构使安装其上的相机可在两个方向上旋转远超 90 度,无需笨重的 L 型快装板即可在横构图与竖构图之间快速切换。球体采用中空内核并开设孔洞,在减轻重量的同时保持了强度。可调节的扳手式锁紧夹座可兼容多种规格的相机快装板,阻尼控制旋钮用于设定转动阻力,全景锁定装置则允许云台整周旋转以拍摄全景照片。Aspen 由硬质阳极氧化铝精密加工而成。
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award 银奖
Aspen 三脚架云台是 A' Design Award 银奖得主，这是授予顶级、华美而令人印象深刻的设计的极为崇高的认可。银奖得主是极其卓越、极具创造力的作品，展现出其设计师杰出的专业技能、才华与敏锐。预计Aspen 三脚架云台将成为一件出色的典范之作，兼具非凡的专业性与深刻的创新性。这件赢得 A' Design Award 银奖的设计是一项备受瞩目、令人钦佩的发明，造福并拓展艺术、科学、设计和技术的边界。Aspen 三脚架云台是一件令人羡慕的创作，它唤起渴望，带来积极的情感，并激发惊叹与赞叹。
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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