Shotoku Broadcast Systems will introduce a self-contained elevator pedestal at IBC 2022, the TI-11X.

According to the company, the TI-11X offers the perfect combination of payload, speed, range of travel and on-air motion and features Shotoku’s new XHeight elevator column at its core for optimal performance. Demonstrations of the TI-11X, as well as Shotoku’s family of pan and tilt heads, control panels, rail systems and SmartPed will be held on Shotoku’s IBC Stand 12.F38 throughout the show.

With a total payload of 90kg the TI-11X is ideal for applications requiring high-quality, on-air height movement, but where a pneumatically balanced manual pedestal is not necessary. The compact and highly stable three-wheel design ensures great on-air shots and is easily maneuvered using the integral handle and adjustable cable guards, says the company. Power and control electronics are contained within the base and connections to the head are provided via the integrated cable management chain to create a neat, compact overall package.

“The TI-11X complements our other elevator control options including the TI-11, a simple elevator pedestal, and the TI-12 bolt-on height drive for manual pedestals,” said James Eddershaw, Shotoku managing director. ”And as you’d expect, the TI-11X is fully compatible with virtual reality/augmented reality applications, like all our robotics products.”

The pedestal is a perfect mate to Shotoku’s TG-18i pan and tilt head, providing users with a package that supports almost any camera / lens and teleprompter combination found in live news and sports studios. Elevation can be controlled remotely from Shotoku’s control system, however local up/down buttons are provided to allow height to be set from the studio floor if required. The TG-18i head supports full manual override with fluid-damped pan and tilt axes so even though the TI-11X is intended primarily for remote operation, manual override of the camera is possible if needed.

The TI-11X supports all Shotoku’s usual accessories and control options such as LiveView and RNI, as well as the new AL-S Absolute Locating System that provides cost-effective, non-realtime, XY tracking when repositioning the pedestal within a virtual production studio.

Shotoku’s SmartRail floor rail system will also be shown at IBC with the new XHeight elevator column, demonstrating that the same high-level performance can be achieved where a top-of-the-range three stage SmartHeight column is not required.

In addition to the brand-new TI-11X, Shotoku will highlight its TG-47 pan and tilt head, the newest unit to join the company’s range of heads, and the latest versions of its popular TR-XT and Orchestra v3 control systems for studios and parliaments.

Finally, SmartPed, Shotoku’s fully robotic free-roaming studio pedestal, always a show highlight, will be shown for the first time equipped with the AN-S Absolute Navigation System—an integral optical tracking system enabling permanent reference for the pedestal’s navigation systems without the need for any reference floor tile. AN-S removes the requirement to reference the pedestal after switching on or at any time during use.