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New flying camera
set to hover in Liverpool
24/04/06
The answer to film makers’ dreams is about to get off the
ground in Liverpool.
The Hoverwing is a unique remote-controlled camera platform which
can hover and swoop in and out of the action to help films like
the Bourne Identity, James Bond and Mission Impossible franchises
become more real and less reliant on special effects.
Former BBC programme maker John Coakley spotted an opportunity
to create a flying camera three years ago while researching lost
technologies and inventions for a Channel 4 series. The series
was never made but John persevered with the idea with help from
Manchester University and the DTI before finally receiving funding
from the Merseyside Special Investment Fund last October with
the help of Liverpool Ventures.
He said ‘The first prototype crashed during a publicity stunt
for Liverpool Ventures ironically enough, but it was an opportunity
to re-engineer the concept from scratch. The new prototype is
based on a very old French design with some amazing properties-
and with our own twist we’ll shortly be able to stop it dead
in mid-air and just keep it there, filming anything we want in
High Definition video. We’ve had several successful tests
flying very slowly indeed.’
John Jeffery is director of J2 Aircraft Dynamics an aviation design
software consultancy involved in the project. He’s been amazed
by the properties of the Hoverwing ‘The configuration is
unique because unlike a normal aircraft, this actually become
more stable the slower it flies. Even when it can’t keep
in level flight any longer, it doesn’t stall or lose control’
At this point the Hoverwing plays its trump card and switches
to hover- though that trick is still top secret.
The new design has come at just the right time to coincide with
some other astonishing technologies, like a fifth generation lithium
polymer battery the size a bag of sugar that can deliver 2 kilowatts
of power, palm-sized high definition camcorders and brushless
electric motors barely bigger than a cigarette lighter that will
be able to give all the thrust needed for hovering. The craft
also uses an infra-red guided autopilot that helps the Hoverwing
to know which way is up and stay in position regardless of wind
conditions.
The key to the plane’s success will be safety. The Hoverwing
has no exposed rotors or propellers, and so can be flown much
nearer people than other craft like helicopters. John has plans
to licence the wing for aerial filming and is already in talks
with one of the world’s leading outside broadcast units.
In time it could develop into a wide variety of other fields like
survey work, search and rescue and even the toy market.
Hoverwing is backed by the Liverpool Seed Fund and receives management
support from Liverpool Ventures. Steve Nesbitt of Liverpool Ventures
said ‘Hoverwing is a really exciting project. It demonstrates
how the application of knowledge acquired in industry can be developed
to form business with enormous potential. We are looking forward
to working with John on the commercialisation of his business.’
Hoverwing is located in Blundell Street, Liverpool and the proximity
of services such as JAB Design has made Liverpool a good place
to set up this sort of business.
Ends
For more information contact:
Gillian Hunt
Liverpool Ventures
*Alliance Fund Managers (AFM) is regulated by the FSA in the course
of investment business
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