Aspen 雲台 by Colorado Tripod Company is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award 銀獎 in 攝影器材設計 Competition Category.
銀攝影器材· 2021
Aspen 雲台
Client: Colorado Tripod Company
A' Design Award 銀獎 Winner in 攝影器材 Category
- 39,190
- Verified Award Winner
- Verify Award Status for #108315
The Design
About Aspen 雲台
Aspen係一款專為簡化攝影構圖而設計嘅雲台。開放式框架設計令裝上去嘅相機可以喺兩個方向都旋轉超過90度，唔使用笨重嘅L型支架就可以快速喺橫向同直向構圖之間切換。球體採用中空核心設計，並開有孔洞，喺保持強度嘅同時減輕重量。可調節嘅槓桿夾具能夾持多種相機快裝板，摩擦力控制可設定阻尼力度，而水平旋轉鎖定功能則容許全方位旋轉以拍攝全景照片。Aspen由硬質陽極氧化鋁精密加工製成。
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award 銀獎
Aspen 雲台是 A' Design Award 銀獎得主，這是授予頂級、華美而令人印象深刻的設計的極為崇高的認可。銀獎得主是極其卓越、極具創造力的作品，展現出其設計師傑出的專業技能、才華與敏銳。預計Aspen 雲台將成為一件出色的典範之作，兼具非凡的專業性與深刻的創新性。這件贏得 A' Design Award 銀獎的設計是一項備受矚目、令人欽佩的發明，造福並拓展藝術、科學、設計和技術的界限。Aspen 雲台是一件令人羨慕的創作，它喚起渴望，帶來積極的情感，並激發驚嘆與讚嘆。
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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