Technical FAQ: rigging point loads, AR protocols, positioning accuracy, and flight height

Each system operates with different rope tension forces depending on the application.

For standard operation:

• Studio systems normally operate with up to 55 kg of rope tension.
• Stadium systems normally operate with up to 65 kg of rope tension.
• Industrial systems are custom-built according to the client’s requirements and may operate with significantly higher tensions than standard broadcast systems.

During rigging calculations, it is important to understand that each pulley receives force from two branches of the rope:

• one branch entering the pulley,
• and one branch exiting the pulley.

In some scenarios this may double the load applied to the pulley compared to the rope tension itself.

For this reason, all rigging calculations include substantial safety margins. The forces shown in our technical charts already include forces applied to the pulleys by two branches of the rope and an additional 3x safety factor for possible winch overpowering.

An additional safety factor should be added to the overall safety factor determined by the safety requirements of the country and the event location (if there are no special requirements in the country and the event location, a minimum safety factor of 3 should be calculated for the design for installation and operating loads).

This provides a high level of structural reliability for both permanent and temporary installations.

Our systems support FreeD protocol as well as several additional protocols compatible with industry-standard AR systems. However, the majority of clients operate using the FreeD protocol.

Our output signal combines:

• cable camera positional data,
• gimbal positioning data,
• lens zoom and focus information,

into a single synchronized data package, which is typically transmitted at a 20 ms update frequency to the AR server.

The system itself provides stable timing and synchronization for standard AR applications. However, for the highest level of frame synchronization accuracy, we recommend connecting an external synchronization signal such as Genlock directly to the control station.

This allows the AR output to achieve the best possible frame-accurate synchronization with the broadcast environment.

The system has undergone third-party testing and certification. During testing, the system completed multiple movements along a 1.5-kilometer trajectory and over 400 motion cycles. The positioning accuracy at any stage of the movement was only 1.5 mm!

This level of accuracy provides extremely high confidence in repeatable motion control operation.

For each project, it is important to calculate the operational flight height of the system in advance.

Since the payload is suspended on ropes, the ropes naturally create sag depending on:

• pulleys coordinates,
• payload weight,
• system type,
• and the position of the camera or payload inside the working zone.

Because of this, the available operational height changes depending on the system geometry and working area configuration.

To simplify this process, we provide a calculator that allows clients to estimate operational flight height. This chart provides a quick and practical way to understand the achievable operational area during project planning.