Ross Videos is a technology company that designs, markets, manufactures, and supports a variety of innovative systems for use in broadcast, and other live event production. They have a wide range of products, including virtual sets, services for augmented reality, real-time motion graphics, cameras, camera robotics, workflow management for news, production switchers, routers, infrastructure systems, and more. We are so fortunate to have them as our sponsor.
On April 12, 2017, we visited Ross Videos and were given a tour of the office. We were able to see the variety of camera robots that they use for filming at events, and which products they are currently in the process of building. One product that we got the opportunity to explore was the Furio SE Studio Robotic Camera. It has a track system on which the camera moves in order to capture a wide array of angles and perspectives for recording and capturing images. Not to mention, the camera can be raised or lowered depending on the circumstances and can turn 360 degrees as well as. There are also some safety features, such as the stop button on the robot itself in order to shut off the robot in case of emergencies. Also, more safety features can be found on the controller. This kind of product is mainly used in the entertainment and news industry. Companies like CTV or BBC use their robot on a daily basis.
Additionally, we learned about their control/operating system and how they processed the videos. The camera’s job is to do background recording, while other employees are in charge of surveying the footage, organizing and editing it.
Another aspect we explored is the green screen room. We learned about how the green screen works as well as their latest virtual set they were developing and what kinds of features they can include. For example, in the virtual set, there was a TV, in which they could have used the green screen or have played a movie. Also, we experienced how the Robotic Cameras work as we all stood on the green screen and watched ourselves on the TV in different angles. Moreover, we saw how certain features of the green screen can be controlled. For instance, the students and the background could be manipulated to our needs. We also learned about how the control panel for the cameras and greens screen worked.
Overall, it was a great experience to be invited by one of our sponsors. Thanks to Ross Video for giving us a tour as well as the opportunity to explore many different careers in STEAM.