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Toronto · Film & live entertainment

Machines, Controls & Rigging

Bespoke systems for film and live entertainment.

We bring mechanical design, fabrication and modern controls together to create specialized machinery for demanding productions.

Talk about a project See what we do
Studio elevator tower with chain hoists overhead.
Five-storey scenic lift (elevator) in studio Design, engineering, installation, programming and operation

01Work

What we do

Custom machinery, controls and rigging interfaces for the production.

Ring-gear drive beside an emergency stop and control laptop.
Commissioning automation of a scenic orb

Machines & fabrication

Mechanical concepts, 3D design, prototypes and fabricated mechanisms built around the effect.

Servo drive rack with its cover removed.
Custom controls integration for TV show production, leveraging MotionFX nodes and software Design rendering

Controls & integration

Connect machinery, drives, feedback and operator controls into a system that fits the production.

Two riggers working above the studio tower.
From design and engineering to rigging and install, our team can deliver a turnkey product bespoke to production requirements and timelines.

Rigging & production integration

Plan machine interfaces and movement envelopes with the production's rigging team and our independent specialists.

02Show delivery

Installation, programming & show operation

We bring custom machinery and controls onto the stage, install and integrate the system, program the movement and cues, and operate it through rehearsals and performances.

Installation
Fit machinery, control racks and rigging interfaces to the stage and production.
Programming
Build movement sequences and cues around the show.
Operation
Run the system through rehearsals and performances, working with the production team.
Side-stage operator console with control screens, camera views and a laptop.
Highly skilled operators can load in, program and operate.
Two laptops beside a rack of control screens at side stage.
Custom PosiNet dashboard for cross-department integration: projection integrated with automation for multimedia and modern shows.

03MotionFX

MotionFX

Our motion-control software and control nodes.

View MotionFX

MFX Node circuit board.
Design rendering MFX Node
MFX-SC3 control box with its front-panel connectors.
Design rendering MFX-SC3 three-axis controller
MFX-SC3 controller with the internal drives and wiring exposed.
Design CAD Inside the MFX-SC3 controller
MotionFX bench test showing a cue and three axes.
Software MotionFX bench test

04Design

Design & engineering collaboration

Development and CAD analysis for a 100-foot studio gantry gimbal.

Overhead truss layout with two rails running along its length.

Swipe sideways to see the whole layout.

Development CAD Earlier overhead motion-system layout
Custom hanger connecting a rail to a truss chord.
Development CAD Custom truss hanger
Preliminary hanger-plate stress study, with a calculated peak of 9.92 MPa.

Swipe sideways to see the full study.

Preliminary analysis Preliminary plate stress study — idealized supports and equal plate sharing. One plate is shown at half of the 1,000 lbf total reference load.

05About

About HUDS-ON

We bring over a decade of live entertainment automation experience, including touring across Europe and North America as riggers and automation control specialists. That experience informs our approach to bespoke machinery, controls and rigging integration.

We work closely with independent riggers, machine-control specialists and engineers with experience in the production industry, bringing the right disciplines together for each project. Together, we connect mechanical design, fabrication, controls and rigging integration around the needs of the production.

Our work spans mechanical design, welding, machining, fabrication and motion-system integration. We adapt existing equipment and build custom mechanisms around the effect.

  • Clear operation

    Controls that read plainly and behave predictably for the people running them.

  • Practical integration

    Systems that fit the venue, the machinery and the production schedule.

  • Built to be maintained

    Hardware and software we can support and service.

Vintage subway-door motors and control electronics on the bench.
Automating vintage subway doors
Machine-head concept with a motor, gearbox and belt drive.
Custom machine-head concept Concept rendering

06Contact

Tell us about the machine, movement or control problem.

HUDS-ON Industries Inc.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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