Predator VX360 - wearable waterproof digital video system

Client: Predator Limited

Project type: Design to manufacture

Product features

The Predator VX360 is a wearable waterproof video camera system for sports enthusiasts and is designed to capture footage from extreme and adventure sports.

The system comprises:

• a rugged, waterproof recording case with electronic control features plus a viewing window on the LCD panel of the enclosed recording device, which is worn on the arm and joined by an AV cable to
• a camera in a mounting system which can be attached to the user's clothes, equipment or supplied headband by way of the mounting system's Velcro foot

The system is completely waterproof to three metres and totally rugged and robust to survive contact with seawater and hard surfaces such as rock.

The Challenge

Our clients at Predator Technology are extreme sports enthusiasts and wanted a camera to record rider's-eye windsurfing footage. Previously they home-made a kit by putting a camera in a plastic bag - but weren't surprised to find it leaked! They were very clear about what they wanted to achieve with the camera and their objective was to deliver a product which would compete, in looks and performance, with competitor products from the electronics giants, such as Sony and Toshiba.

The Process

Predator came to MotionTouch with hand-drawn sketches of how the camera may look. These drawings and the clients' vision for the camera were discussed at length with a MotionTouch product designer. MotionTouch moved the project on to the next stage, by taking the clients' drawings and ideas and producing CAD drawings, which Predator agreed improved the aesthetics of the product and incorporated new key components.

The project utilised our mechanical design and electronics engineering expertise for the overall design, exterior appearance, features and functionality of the recording unit and camera. With the initial design finalised, a prototype was produced, which was used for testing - both in action and for market appeal with potential users. With additional data gained in testing the design was tweaked and finalised and the project handed over to our production team, who had been closely involved since the initial stages, for manufacturing. The Predator VX360 has been launched successfully in to a market of extreme sports enthusiasts keen to capture footage of their adventures - or for training purposes to improve technique and performance.

The Outcome

The Predator VX360 is rugged, wearable and easy to use. It looks good and takes great video, in situations that no other camera can cope with. Certainly the VX360's superior aesthetics have helped it gain positive press coverage, including appearing in articles in the national press alongside products from Apple and Toshiba.

But the VX360 is not only good-looking - the video quality is excellent too and it is easy to share and distribute the footage via mobile phone or internet. Plus, with the LCD on the unit, the footage can be viewed instantly - on the beach or in the pub.