Jan 21 2014
The Sundance Institute co-founder Sterling Van Wagenen was on hand to celebrate Jigabot’s unveiling of its AIMe robotic camera auto-framing system to filmmakers attending the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
“AIMe is the star of the Sundance Film Festival 2014,” said Mr. Van Wagenen. “For the past 30 years, the Sundance Film Festival has been home to artists with interesting stories to tell. And Jigabot’s AIMe makes it even easier for independent filmmakers to craft their stories on a small budget — which is perfectly in line with the spirit of Sundance.”
AIMe uses patent-pending technology to provide a hands-free way of keeping a subject perfectly framed within a video.
“It is exciting for Jigabot to unveil AIMe to filmmakers at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival,” said Rick Stout, co-founder and CEO of Jigabot. “Our company was founded by professional filmmakers with a passion for art and technology. And we know that AIMe will help everyone — from amateurs to professionals — nail those difficult but amazing shots each and every time.”
AIMe can be mounted with both smartphones and digital cameras weighing less than 12 ounces, including the highly popular GoPro camera. By synching with EmIT, a wearable and mountable sensor that attaches to any subject — and which can be hidden within wardrobe — AIMe tracks, pans and tilts the camera in response to the subject’s movements.
“This is totally liberating to independent filmmakers,” continued Stout. “A director can shoot and direct at the same time. Or a cinematographer can find amazing angles and be certain that the subject will remain in frame.”
A filmmaker who wants to do a multi-camera shoot — but lacks the personnel to man each camera, microphone, or light — can pair a single sensor, attached to the talent, with multiple AIMe devices. Those same AIMe devices can then be mounted to small cameras, lights, or directional boom mics. Each AIMe can then follow the talent, capturing video and sound, or providing a perfect rim light, for example.
"In essence, for the first time ever, independent filmmakers will now have the ability to shoot a scene without a crew for operating small cameras, microphones, or lights," said Jigabot co-founder Donna Root. "AIMe points your camera, so you can be in the moment. AIMe is the only such device that will work indoors or outdoors and is also small enough to fit within your pocket."
AIMe is light enough to be suspended from the end of a boom pole. Future iterations of AIMe will accommodate DSLRs and high-end production cameras, and provide configurable framing settings such as “leading the action,” “following the action,” and “positioning a face” within a particular portion of the frame.
Jigabot officially launched AIMe earlier this year at the International Consumer Electronics Show, where the device was named to Videomaker’s “Best of CES 2014” list and won the publication’s “Most Innovative Product Award.” In a preview of the international trade show published by Fast Company, AIMe was also recognized as one of the top five robots at CES 2014. Last year Jigabot also won Grow America’s “Top Startup Company” and “Crowd Favorite” awards.
Pricing and Availability
AIMe, packaged with an EmIT sensor, will be available at www.jigabot.com for $299 in June, 2014.
About Jigabot
Jigabot, LLC develops software-driven robotic devices for home, work and play. Jigabot's flagship product AIMe is a robotic camera auto-framing system for smartphones and cameras that automatically tracks a moving subject in real time. Founded in 2012, Jigabot is headquartered in Highland, Utah.