Al Jazeera renovates main studio with robotic cameras from Ross Video

Ross Video’s robotic cameras have arrived at the Al Jazeera main news studio, recently renovated for the Qatar-based news agency’s 25th anniversary.

The Al Jazeera Studio 5 has been upgraded with Ross Video technology. Specifically, five ceiling-mounted Ross SkyDolly camera systems, seven free-roaming XY CamBot pedestals and Vision[Ai]ry Facial Tracking (Ft) have been integrated. In addition, to support the versatility of the facility, Al Jazeera has installed four SkyDolly tracks on the ceilings throughout the facility, the largest of which is 60 metres long and surrounds the entire studio and press room. Another large circular track with two SkyDollies has also been integrated in the main studio, as well as in the newsrooms.

When combined with the SkyDolly systems, the CamBot pedestals offer greater flexibility as they can be positioned and moved anywhere in the studio. The Vision[Ai]ry Ft system, meanwhile, improves the quality and consistency of Al Jazeera’s broadcasts by automatically tracking the movements of staff in the studio, ensuring that the robotic camera’s movements are fluid and keep staff well framed at all times.

Ibrahim Nassar, manager of broadcast engineering at Al Jazeera, recounts how the studio integration was developed: “When we decided in early 2021 to revamp our studios completely for the Al Jazeera 25th anniversary, we realized timeframes were short and challenging. On top of that, we also wanted a state-of-the-art look that would combine spectacular camera shots with one of the most beautiful studio designs ever made. Both Al Jazeera and the System Integrator had worked with Ross Robotics in the past and knew that they were the ones who could pull this off – and we were not disappointed.”. Nassar was assisted by Christopher Ferguson, director of business development at Clickspring, the design firm that developed the new studio. Ferguson considers the Ross Video solutions key to the configuration he and his team had in mind: “From the outset, the CamBot and SkyDolly systems were integral to the studio’s creative vision, and the team of onsite technicians who implemented and calibrated the myriad hardware and software were some of the finest professionals I’ve had the opportunity to work with.”

Miguel Declerck, senior business development manager EMEA at Ross Video, lists the keys to the integration: “Al Jazeera is one of the biggest references in the broadcast world, so it was a great honour when they asked us to equip their new studios with twelve of our robotic systems. It was important to Al Jazeera that five out of the twelve robots would be hanging from telescopic lifts while still providing perfectly stable moving on-air shots. At the same time, the robots had to be 100% fall-proof and perfectly integrated into the magnificent set design covering the floor, walls, and ceiling. And these challenging conditions are exactly where our SkyDolly shines. We are extremely pleased with the symbiotic cooperation between the customer, system integrator, set designer, lighting, and set builders on this project.”