PRG Granted Patent on GroundControl™ Followspot System
DALLAS, March 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Production Resource Group LLC, (PRG), the world's leading provider of entertainment and event technology solutions, announced today that it has been issued a United States utility patent for the award-winning GroundControl™ Followspot System. The patent (number 9,593,830) is the culmination of a multiple-year development effort by the PRG Research and Development team based in Dallas. This patent is the first issued of the four patents filed by PRG related to the GroundControl system.
"We are very happy and proud to have our first claims granted on the GroundControl Followspot. PRG's innovation is driven by our clients' needs and this is just another example of our extensive technical capabilities," said Chris Conti, product manager for PRG and one of the inventors. "This product is revolutionizing a category that has seen very little innovation in the past 30 years. We have been overwhelmed with the success and demand for the product."
PRG's GroundControl Followspot System allows a followspot operator to remotely operate a high output automated luminaire as a followspot from up to 2,000 feet away. Designers now have total creative freedom to put followspots in previously unusable places or avoid complex rigging. With the GroundControl Followspot System, the operator is on the ground so the physical footprint of the luminaire is significantly smaller than a conventional followspot. Because of this small footprint and low weight, followspots can now be placed in a wide variety of positions. The GroundControl Followspot System consists of specially customized PRG luminaires which include a built-in camera and can be flown or mounted in locations around a venue which would not normally accommodate a followspot. In addition to the safety benefits, the GroundControl Followspot System reduces trucking space, saves operator time, allows for a single operator to control multiple follow spots and also minimizes "seat kills" – the need to remove seats to create traditional followspot positions – a revenue bonus for clients.
The GroundControl Followspot System, introduced to the market in 2016, has been well received by the industry – awarded Live Design's Products of the Year for Best New Followspot in 2015-2016 and AV Awards Production Product of the Year in 2016 – and it has been quickly integrated into live music, TV and corporate productions. The technology has been used on tours by artists including Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Drake, Elton John, Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers and has been integrated into TV productions such as "The Voice", "MTV Awards" and "iHeart Music Awards". It has also been used in the Tom Ford Fashion Show and in events and exhibits by corporations such as Adobe, Microsoft and SAP.
The GroundControl Followspot System consists of three parts: a GC Spot Luminaire, a GC Truss Box, and a GC Followspot Controller. It is currently compatible with PRG's Best Boy HP, Bad Boy HP and the new GroundControl™ LongThrow luminaire.
For more information on the award winning and patented GroundControl Followspot System please visit: www.prg.com/technology/products/luminaires/groundcontrol-followspot-system
About Production Resource Group
PRG is the world's leading provider of entertainment and event technology solutions. PRG provides comprehensive and discreet services to an array of clients in the live music, TV/Film, Broadway, sports, gaming, corporate experiential and live events markets. Clients and partners depend on PRG's innovation, experience and depth of experience in audio, video, lighting, rigging, staging, and scenery and automation systems to bring their stories to life. With 44 offices across North America, South America, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Australia, PRG has capabilities to provide services worldwide. For more information, please visit www.prg.com
SOURCE Production Resource Group LLC
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