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Robotic cameras to capture unique angles on Olympic action

Reuters photographer Fabrizio Bensch is heading to the Olympics and he's bringing some pretty impressive equipment with him to get unique angles on the action.

In a blog on the Reuters website, Bensch explains how he'll be covering the London 2012 Olympic Games using remote cameras, which will be able to go where normal cameras can't because they're attached to photographers.

Bensch's cameras will be mounted in overhead locations in the arenas, so they can capture the perfect moment from a different perspective. The robo-cameras will be triggered by cable wires or wireless transmitters.

For the first time ever Bensch and his fellow photographer Pawel Kopcznski will be able to capture action from rooftop vantage points, where no human photographer can go.

The cameras are being installed by the pair over the next few weeks, ahead of the Olympic Games. In addition to triggering the equipment remotely, the photographer can move the camera along the rigging to which it's hooked up and control the camera's zoom with a joystick.

Once Bensch has snapped the photo, it's immediately sent to his remote editing system, then sent to the wire for news outlets to use within minutes.

Keep an eye out for unique shots from odd vantage points during the Olympic coverage. If anyone asks: "I wonder how they got that photo?" you can say that robots were responsible for it.

(Photos from Reuters Photographers Blog)