Live From Daytona 500: BSI Intros New Panning Roof Camera

System offers streamlined form factor, easier sponsor-logo integration

A new panning roof camera tops the innovations from Broadcast Sports Inc. (BSI) that will be used later today by Fox Sports for the Daytona 500.

“It was a tremendous collaboration with NASCAR,” says Peter Larsson, founder/GM, BSI. “They wanted to make sure the teams were ready for it, and they had enough time to test it in the wind tunnels.”

BSI has installed nine panning roof cameras for NASCAR’s 2017 season.

Nine cars will have the panning roof cameras, along with three other cameras: a camera to the right of the driver shooting the driver, a camera that can turn 360 degrees over the shoulder of the driver, and a camera on the rear bumper looking behind the car.

“We can microwave up to four cameras per car at once,” notes Larsson.

A previous version of a roof camera was located between two roll bars near the windshield. That location provided very little space between the lens and the windscreen and prevented sponsor logos on the roof from being visible.

“The new system is moved back about 8 in., doesn’t stick up as much, and can show sponsor logos,” adds Larsson.

Sean Seavers, BSI’s engineer-in-charge for NASCAR

Car modifications included drilling a hole in the roof and placing a soap-dish–size housing inside the car under the camera to stop air from coming through the hole and into the car and impairing aerodynamics.

The new panning roof camera is not the only way BSI is helping car sponsor messaging reach the public more easily. This year, a logo inserter is being used to burn sponsor logos into all in-car camera feeds.

“It’s permanently burned in when we feed the signal over to Fox,” says Larsson. “Now they don’t need to insert it, and the technical director doesn’t need to worry about it.” A clean feed without those graphics is also available.

Because installing in-car cameras adds some weight to the car, every car in the race will have either the actual system or dummy weight.

“We’ve been working with NASCAR over the years to get the system weight spread around the car. In the old days, it would just be in the center of the car,” Larsson explains. “But, when the race goes to tracks like Phoenix, the teams want the weight in the back of the car or elsewhere, so we have split the weight up to even it out a bit.”

He says there is plenty of spectrum space to meet BSI’s needs. If needed, upwards of 20 paths can be delivered from the cars. Other RF systems provided by BSI include four RF cameras for the main race coverage, one RF camera for the in-venue videoboard production, and another RF camera for FS1 and the blimp shot.