MRMC (Mark Roberts Motion Control), a renowned manufacturer of film and television shooting control systems in the UK, announced at the upcoming International Broadcasting Conference 2025 (IBC 2025) that it will officially showcase several new-generation photography robot systems. These innovative products include the compact Cinebot Nano and the RPS-LT mobile pan-tilt system equipped with a six-axis robotic arm. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nikon Group, the new products released by MRMC this time not only mark a breakthrough in the direction of automation and intelligence in the film and television industry, but also demonstrate the trend of deep integration of robot technology and film and television production.
As the top event in the global broadcasting and film, and television industry, the IBC Conference attracts thousands of exhibitors and tens of thousands of professionals to Amsterdam every year to discuss the latest technological trends together. The debut of MRMC this year undoubtedly became one of the focuses. The emergence of Cinebot Nano and RPS-LT has provided unprecedented flexibility and efficiency for the film and television industry. According to the official introduction of MRMC, both robot systems are equipped with advanced LIDAR sensors, which can achieve precise spatial tracking and obstacle avoidance functions, thereby meeting the high-standard requirements of virtual production and complex scene scheduling.
At the press conference, Peter Thomson, the technical director of MRMC, pointed out: “As the pursuit of immersion, dynamics, and high efficiency in film and television works continues to increase, the traditional manual shooting method has difficulty meeting the rapidly developing demands.” The new generation of photography robots can not only achieve high-precision repetitive actions and complex camera position scheduling, but also seamlessly integrate with virtual production systems, bringing greater creative freedom to directors and photographers. He emphasized that the combination of human and machine labor does not imply substitution but rather further unleashing the potential of creators.
In terms of product details, the Cinebot Nano is renowned for its compactness and flexibility, and is specifically designed for narrow shooting environments and fast-moving scenes. Its lightweight body and high response speed enable it to meet the demands of rapid set design and camera switching in advertising, music video, and short film shooting. The RPS-LT, on the other hand, is a heavy-duty solution for high-end film and television production. Equipped with a six-axis robotic arm and a mobile chassis, it can not only switch camera positions over a wide range but also achieve all-around dynamic tracking in complex film sets. By integrating with LIDAR technology, RPS-LT can automatically avoid obstacles in multi-character and multi-object scenes, ensuring the safety and smoothness of the shooting process.
It is worth noting that MRMC’s exploration in the field of virtual production is also accelerating. Since the beginning of this year, virtual production has gradually become an important means of film and TV series production. It achieves seamless integration of virtual and real environments through LED screens, real-time rendering, and motion capture technology. Photography robots play an indispensable role in this process. With the help of Cinebot Nano and RPS-LT, directors can achieve complex shot scheduling in a virtual environment without having to repeat a large amount of manual positioning. This not only significantly shortens the shooting cycle but also reduces the production cost.
Analysts in the film and television industry generally believe that the launch of MRMC’s new products reflects the broad application prospects of robot technology in the cultural industry. In recent years, with the rapid development of AI, sensors, and motion control systems, film and television production has gradually entered a highly automated stage. Photography robots can achieve high-precision and low-error motion control, and possess remote operation and intelligent collaboration capabilities, thereby solving the efficiency bottlenecks and personnel safety issues existing in traditional shooting. According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the popularity of robot systems in the film and television industry is increasing year by year, especially in high-end productions in Hollywood and Europe, where robot positions have become the norm.
In addition to breakthroughs at the hardware level, MRMC also plans to further expand its software ecosystem in the coming years and achieve closer compatibility with third-party virtual production platforms and post-production tools. Industry insiders predict that this strategy will not only consolidate MRMC’s leading position in the field of film and television shooting control, but also may win Nikon Group greater say in the digital imaging and film and television technology market.
Against the backdrop of the gradual recovery of the global film and television industry and the accelerating digital wave, the commercial potential of photography robots is being rapidly unleashed. For film sets, this means faster set design, more accurate motion reproduction, and a safer shooting environment; For the audience, it means a more shocking and immersive visual experience. With the debut of Cinebot Nano and RPS-LT, MRMC is leading a discussion on the “future of human-machine collaboration”, and the stage of IBC 2025 will also be the best footnote to this transformation.
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