Rapidly Prototyping a Camera Mount
Producing custom camera mounts to record a weekend-long baseball tournament.
Context
RealPlay is a start-up providing hardware and automated solutions to capture and manage gameplay-recruiting video in the competitive youth baseball atmosphere. It needed new hardware to support capturing video for a 3-day tournament at the 3-field New England Baseball Complex.
There were challenges securely mounting GoPro cameras at fields in a way that withstands extreme and changing environmental conditions and doesn’t interfere with a game. I set out to create a solution two weeks before the tournament.
Vision
I aimed to create a low-cost, custom camera mount that supplements GoPro accessories to mount a GoPro camera at a baseball field, protect the camera from the elements, and maintain stability for a clean video without human intervention.
Process
First, I met with the company's founder/CEO and the tournament facilitator and complex manager to discuss the upcoming tournament's operations and expectations. I gathered complex photos and sample tournament videos. Then, I conducted a journey mapping workshop with the CEO to understand the end-to-end operations of RealPlay for the tournament.
A trip to Home Depot sparked multiple iterations of pen and paper sketches for a new mount. I focused on a minimally viable option considering factors like easy installation and removal (without causing damage), material reusability, replication of installation/removal processes, and the cost, durability, and weather-resistance of materials.
Less than a day before the tournament, I prepared myself with tools, materials, and GoPro accessories, and iteratively created the mounts. I tested them on a backstop field with a few variations, made adjustments to existing mounts, and finalized a consistent set while at the fields. Into the night, I installed the mounts.
Result
To create the mounts, I cut a form in flexible T-shaped sewer pipes to fit to the backstop poles. We installed the mounts using electrical tape (strong but removes easily). The mounts fulfilled their intended purpose for the initial tournament and multiple tournaments after. Insights were documented along the way to inspire a future iteration.
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