Podo

Camera for Podo Labs, Inc.

Inspired by the social media revolution, the following design is a stick-and-shoot camera. The main user feature is taking entirely hands-free photos. Users can simply stick the camera anywhere, thanks to the special nano-adhesive backing. They then can control the camera with an app. The ball joint enables one to take pictures from any angle. The design allows for solo content creation that would otherwise require carrying around a surplus of heavy camera equipment. The friendly exterior encourages interaction with the camera, and the bold blue color is attention grabbing.

Download Press Kit № 118713

Download Press Kit № 118713 Camera for Podo Labs, Inc. by Chuntze Cheng to access high-res images, essential texts, translations, and exclusive interviews—all in one.

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Podo by Chuntze Cheng

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Camera by Chuntze Cheng

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Chuntze Cheng Podo

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Chuntze Cheng Camera

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Podo Labs Inc Brand Logo

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Podo Camera Media Articles

Ready-to-feature articles on Podo are available in these languages: English, Hindi, Indonesian, Spanish, Arabic (Standard), Italian, Dutch, German, French, Portuguese, Turkish, Korean, Japanese, Russian and Chinese (Mandarin), for your convenience.

Unique Properties

Podo Camera is the world’s first stick & shoot camera that takes hands-free photos to the next level! Stick Podo Camera anywhere using its special nano-adhesive backing and control it with an app.

Tags

Camera, Selfie, Travel, Bluetooth, Video, Gadget, Photo, Time-lapse, Accessory, Mobile

Production Technology

Improved design process based on lessons learned from previous product iterations. Injection molding with <0.05mm tolerance for the ball-joint. Injection molding materials: Delrin, PC-ABS, PC. Proprietary silicone formula for repeat-use sticky pad. Ran multiple trials on different silicone structures to make sure it can achieve 10,000 cycles. Light pipes funnel LEDs from PCB to top of camera. Ran light refraction simulations with TracePro to achieve our desired aesthetic. Custom designed PCB with board mounted camera lens. Optimized DFM to simplify the assembly process.

Design Challenge

The ball-join mechanical design was challenging because it needed to allow 360-degree movement for the back flap and incorporate with the overall aesthetics. The form factor of the device was difficult to achieve. We had to minimize the device and keep the aesthetics friendly by applying curvatures on all surfaces while keeping heat dissipation, electronics, and a battery in mind. Material selections of the back flap and light pipe were time consuming because there were many iterations and trials to achieve the desired results. The Bluetooth live preview and image/video transfer speed were quite challenging because there was no off-the-shelf solution available on the marketplace. We had to write our own Bluetooth Host firmware stack in order to achieve easy connectivity and fast transfer speeds.

Project Duration

The project started in June 2015 in San Francisco, USA and finished in January 2017. It was crowdfunded on Kickstarter, sold via online channels, and distributed in Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom, and various popup retailers worldwide.

Operation Flow

Step 1: Charge for at least 1 hour. Step 2: Install the Podo app for Android or iOS. Step 3: Rotate back flap and remove protective film on sticky pad. Step 4: Stick securely to a wall and use the app to shoot! The app provides a live preview stream over Bluetooth so you can set up the shot from any angle. Podo is easy to place in various locations for time-lapse and security purposes.

Research

UX research. To develop a handsfree pocket size camera with an intuitive user interface. Observational trials, survey, focus group studies, and simulations. Cameras, questionnaire, Solidworks, Microsoft Office, TracePro. Travel gurus, influencers, tech writers, target audiences. To define a way to improve the selfie-taking camera experience. We realized that people dislike selfie sticks due to their limitations, and also they are banned in many public locations. We push the selfie taking experience to the next level and open up more creative potential.

Inspiration

While working together on another project we often took pictures with the team. We got tired of someone always getting left out of photos and needing cables to transfer data from our colleague's DSLR. We wanted something much more versatile and easy to use, so we made it! Podo represents our passion, our team’s grit, and our conviction that technology should be fun and simple.

Image Credits

Podo Labs Inc. All rights reserved.

Project Overview

Podo Camera has been a Iron winner in the Camera and Photography Equipment Design award category in the year 2020 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.

Iron Recognition

Chuntze Cheng was recognized with the coveted Iron A' Design Award in 2021, a testament to excellence of their work Podo Camera.

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