The Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron, located in Harwell Science Park near Oxford. We have been privileged to work on many projects in the park for main contractors and for the Science and Technology Facilities Council over the last decade – capturing the expansion of this world-class research facility with time lapse and film production to help tell some of the amazing stories of the historical site as it expands the frontiers of science research in the UK.
Sisk – the largest main contractor in Ireland and a major player in the UK construction industry – were contracted to build an extension to the Diamond Light Source, to deliver upgrades to detectors, optics and labs on the site.
One of the benefits that our time lapse cameras and Lobster Vision service bring to projects is a reduction in site visits – saving time, money and carbon as stakeholders worldwide. Sisk needed two live video cameras to cover the whole build for a period of 18 months.
The services we provided included:
We also developed and provided a proof-of-concept ‘Gate Counter’ application that monitored and identified all traffic entering and leaving the site, producing an online report with times and vehicle type.
The site has poor cellular reception, and the client needed video as well as stills to capture and share events on the site. Video systems use a lot more power than the Lobster Pot 4 time lapse camera, so mains electricity was required. Finally, the cameras had to be placed as high as possible to best capture the works.
With excellent help from the team on site, we agreed that positions on lamp-posts and existing camera masts on the site would work best. Sisk provided an extension system so that we could place cameras higher than the light fitting, and we were able to utilise the site’s 110v power for both units. We used a truck-mounted cherrypicker for installation and de-rig.
Despite the signal on site, we were able to design and safely install two self-contained video camera systems. Even when the video streams were uncontactable, still images were uploaded to Lobster Vision, providing great visiblity for stakeholders. The local storage solution we deployed meant that the systems could record video for up to six weeks – allowing clips to be retrieved at any time.
Robbie Allen, MD at Lobster Pictures, said “We’re always happy to work with clients that appreciate that consultation delivers better project value than a ‘one size fits all’ approach. We’ve worked on multiple projects in the Science Park for over a decade, and it’s always a privilege to learn of the new developments happening here. I’m grateful to Sisk for their choice, and as ever, hugely proud of our team for overcoming the challenges around power, 4G signal, height and video capture.”
We’d be happy to look at any challenge you have on your project – we’ve deployed systems on agriculture projects in Bolivia, flare towers on oil rigs, wind turbines in the North Sea and many more. Get in touch today to see how we can deliver project visibility and certainty, anywhere in the world.
“Lobster’s consultative approach meant that we were able to deploy a really useful solution for recorded and live video and time lapse, at short notice and in challenging circumstances. They responded brilliantly to a non-standard brief, and what they provided went above and beyond our expectations for supplier support. Their systems were useful throughout the project delivering a great return-on-investment – and their focus on safety and innovation was plain to see.”