Designers: Creature LLC, Enginuity Works Inc, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Manufacturer: OxBlue, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
What is it?
Ox-Blue Time-Lapse Construction Cameras are a business-to-business product installed at construction sites for project management purposes (not a security camera). It typically takes high resolution (up to 50 Megapixel) still images every 10 minutes, or video. The images are uploaded to OxBlue’s cloud in real time via a cellular network. The extremely high resolution allows property managers and construction companies to access detailed views of the jobsite to monitor safety situations, verify contract compliance, capture “as built” conditions (such as where pipes are buried, locations of utilities in walls), assess progress, collaborate on schedules, adjust billings, train new project managers, etc.
The units are sold or leased to the customer who does the installation – when the unit is plugged in it automatically communicates with OxBlue and begins capturing images. Customers then login to OxBlue’s website and use their proprietary interface to review photos/video, zoom, manage cameras, etc.
Challenge Faced
The client was challenged with supply chain issues – their customers have diverse needs requiring customized enclosures that took too long to produce and generated inventory complexity. There were specialized units for varying environmental conditions, power requirements, image types, and mounting situations.
For example, while all enclosures need to be sealed against rain ingress and stout enough to withstand impacts, systems going to extremely cold environments require internal heaters and lens defrosters, while systems going to desert countries need internal cooling fans and filters to keep out sand.
Additionally, power at construction sites is notoriously intermittent, and there may not be any power in the early stages of a project. So cameras need to run off solar, 110V, or 220V power. The client was previously customizing unique cameras for each of these situations.
Customers also want different fields-of-view that require different cameras and lenses – the enclosure design needed to be flexible and modular to allow mounting of varying cameras.
Once at the jobsite, the customer may want to mount the camera on top of a neighboring building, on a wall, on a pole, or under an eave. OEM mounting solutions required one of three different mounting brackets depending on the installation situation.
Lastly, the client wanted to address all these issues in a custom housing, and needed a design that would be completely differentiated from off-the-shelf cameras, and communicate that it is a revolutionary new solution in a high-tech, ruggedized enclosure that offers new user benefits.
How is this design unique or innovative, compared to other designs in this category?
The Cobalt system is the first time-lapse camera with a customized enclosure that is easy-to-assemble, that fits any installation situation without customization (other than camera/lens), and that sets itself up with no technical expertise required.
The component architecture greatly simplifies assembly. The entire lid swings open to allow complete access to the interior. The old tangle of wiring, connectors, and brackets have been reduced to one simple power distribution PC board. The subcomponents can only be assembled in one way, eliminating the possibility of errors during manufacture. A variety of cameras can be mounted according to the client’s field-of-view needs.
The sealed, hi-tech, custom enclosure withstands harsh environments: an integral heater defrosts the lens in extreme cold, and a rear fan pulls cool air in through a filter to keep out dust/sand for desert installations. Once installed, the heater/fan cycles appropriately for local environmental conditions. The double-walled peripheral housing exhausts air through a plenum to vents on the underside – a tortuous path that won’t let in water.
The injection molded housing incorporates creative features that would not have been possible in a metal enclosure. The design’s chiseled surfaces, crisp radii, and fading non-tangency lines are completely differentiated from existing time-lapse cameras, and visually communicate that it is ushering in a new era of this equipment.
How does this design deliver a simple, intuitive or delightful user experience?
The system delivers a phenomenally simple user experience. It arrives with all hardware needed. A single mounting system accommodates installation on a rooftop, on a wall, under an eave, or on a pole, through a repositionable “head”. It can be installed by one person on a ladder, thanks to a simple detail: the head fits into a recess in the housing, helping to hold the camera steady while the bolts are tightened.
After mounting, the customer plugs into their power source. No other set-up is required – there isn’t even an ON button. Whether the customer plugs into a solar station, 110V, or 220V, the smart system accommodates it immediately.
The system then communicates with OxBlue, the blue LED on the underside glows to show that it is connected, and it begins sending images. The user logs into the OxBlue website to review high-resolution images, navigate through daily progress, zoom, etc.
The user never needs to do troubleshooting. For example, if a cellular network problem is encountered, the system buffers the images and sends them when the network is restored. If the power goes out it notifies OxBlue, reducing troubleshooting time. The system also moves seamlessly back and forth between solar power and line power as needed.
The beautiful high-resolution images have proved to have powerful marketing benefits for customers.
When the project is complete, the user repacks leases systems back into the original packaging, and ships it back to OxBlue for refurbishing for use at another customer.
How does this design improve the client or manufacturer's profitability, brand reputation, employee morale, etc.?
OxBlue has benefited from greatly simplified assembly, and inventory – the same SKU ships to every customer, with variations in camera type and lenses only. Units can be pre-assembled with all components except for the selected camera, which is installed before shipping.
OxBlue is also experiencing less support call volume with questions or issues around installation. The smart system allows the same system to be shipped to every customer, and the system takes care of its own set-up in response to the on-site conditions.
The simplicity and ease of use of the Cobalt camera has made OxBlue the acknowledged leader in time-lapse construction cameras. Sales volumes have increased due to the new design, and have exceeded OxBlue’s sales expectations. OxBlue was thrilled to reach the break-even point on their capital investment as compared to purchasing off-the-shelf enclosures in under a year.
How does this design benefit the greater good; consider society, the environment, culture, the economy, etc.?
Customers have reported that the ease of use of the system and extremely high image resolution has enabled their project managers to stay on top of more projects without requiring constant travel. Owners have happier employees who spending more weekend time with their families, rather than traveling to/from locations all over the world. The cameras have become powerful collaboration tools between property managers and construction teams. This is associated with a reduction in travel costs and carbon footprint.
The Cobalt system also functions as a powerful tool for community engagement – neighbors can monitor progress on buildings without the dangers of being onsite, understand how their tax dollars are being spent, see impacts to their neighborhood, and generally feel more involved. Customers have even gotten calls from area residents who enjoy monitoring building progress.
The power footprint has been optimized to be extremely small, making it simple to run off solar power; the compact solar station ships in a standard FedEx box.
There is also an environmental benefit for systems that are leased to customers. After use, they are shipped back to OxBlue in the original cardboard packaging with its molded, recycled fiberboard packing trays. The units are then refurbished for the next customer, reducing resource use and waste. At OxBue’s manufacturing facility these trays are nested together, reducing the storage space required.
Major materials used
PC-Siloxane copolymer outer housing (selected for low-temperature impact resistance), Silicone seals, stainless steel and aluminum internal bracketry, polycarbonate lens.
Dimensions
20”L (50.80 cm) x 8.75”W (21.59 cm) x 8”H (20.32 cm)
Weight
11.5 lb (5.22 kg) installed