Southern Businesses Taking on the World
A Camera Born in the South
Southern businesses are once again proving they can take on the world! This time, with four of the region’s best joining forces to create a state-of-the-art camera system for Virtual Eye’s international broadcast products.
When Virtual Eye needed a custom-built camera for cricket broadcasts, the pieces quickly came together across four southern innovation and tech businesses. Immortal Camera Systems led the design, FI Innovations handled the carbon fibre work, Kamahi tackled the electronics, and United Machinists brought it all together with precision metal work.
Executive VP – Technology and Innovation, John Rendall, says being able to build the camera so close to home is a huge win.
“The ability to design and build a piece of kit that met the high specs we needed is a real testament to the skills and expertise we have at the bottom of the world.”
Built by Locals, for the World Stage
For the Kamahi team, the proximity and shared energy of the project was something special.
“There’s similar-spirited people around here. I feel very much at home. That camaraderie is definitely there,” says Managing Director Edwin Nieman.
And Senior Engineer Jared Laveryn certainly agrees: “The team who worked on it were relaxed and knowledgeable, which makes it easy to push things forward.”
Tech Specs That Mean Business
The 280–600 fps UHD camera has been deployed across cricket broadcasts, providing end-on and run-out angles as an alternative to traditional camera setups.
SMPTE connectivity ensures a broadcast-ready product, while the aluminum and carbon fibre housing makes it rugged enough to handle anything from Dunedin’s ‘summers’ to the relentless heat of the subcontinent.
Proudly Southern
Virtual Eye CEO Cheryl Adams says working locally is something the company has always taken pride in.
“We’re incredibly proud to have been based out of Dunedin for more than 30 years, and the fact we can work closely with other local businesses is truly exciting for the future of the tech sector in the region.”
The result? A high-performance, ultra-slow motion camera, ready for live graphics activations across our full VTwin 3D stack.