Meet Center Cam V2.0

An HD middle-screen webcam built for human connection

Want to see the new Center Cam V2 webcam in action?

See how Center Cam improves live performance with renowned magician Robert Strong!

Center Cam’s journey as a company is remarkable. Founder Ian Foster was finishing an internship as a Masters of Social Work student when the pandemic hit. He and the other interns in his program switched to remote counseling with the patients they were working with, and the rapport they’d built fizzled because of wonky tech. He had the idea to put the camera in the middle of the screen, and 8 months later they were launching a crowdfund that eventually grossed over $2m on Indiegogo.

What’s important about version 2.0?

• Reduced size=less screen real-estate. The camera is 13mm/0.51in square, which is 20% (2mm) narrower in both width and height without increasing the camera body’s length (depth), and the flex tube diameter 4mm, which is 34% (2mm) smaller. (for those who don’t think in metric terms and for reference, 2mm is approximately ⅛”)

• Product Features:
• Greatly improved audio quality with an improved mono-microphone
• Indicator light lets you know you’re transmitting
• Improved auto-lighting settings – more natural looking output in a variety of conditions
• Gyroscope that natively recognizes vertical so you can use it in top-down or bottom-up orientation
• Fixed focus lens eliminates unintended lens adjustments during product handling
• HFOV of 72 which is slightly wider than previous 1.0, but still narrower than most webcams
• Resolution 1080p HD or 720p @ 30fps

And two other improvements… Center Cam V2.0 is now available in both black and white colors, and we’re designing a new clip that accommodates more monitor types and won’t need to extend into the display area of the monitor. We should be ready to unveil the new clip during the 2nd or 3rd week of the campaign.

What about cost? We’ve been working on our product cost structure with our manufacturing partners, and we’ll be able to offer all these improvements without an increase in retail price!

Keep in mind… the purpose of our business isn’t webcams, it’s connection. A better webcam is the tool to create A Better Connection™ in video conferencing.

Are there any significant risks or challenges?

We learned a significant amount from the development and fulfillment of nearly 38,000 units of Center Cam’s original 1.0 webcam, and our crowdfund backers and customers are/were terrific. Consequently, our product design efforts for the creation of the new 2.0 version were focused on creating even greater value and user experience for Center Cam’s users. 

We’ve already been testing 2.0 prototypes and are amazed at the significant improvements, so the project risks from a technical standpoint are relatively low. We’ve built 2.0 from the chipset/pcb on up and own the design and manufacturing process. We’re really excited to share this with the world!

As with the 1.0 webcam version, the 2.0 device is plug and play to most PC/Mac/Linux/Android systems. The proprietary clip (newly designed, will have pictures by December 20) is what brings it all together. Of course there are always risks associated with international shipments, but if they affect us they will affect the entire market. We currently have operational prototypes and have more in production.

Our biggest challenge is to scale fast enough to meet what we expect initial demand to be… which is why we’re here on Indiegogo.

Other areas of focus for product and packaging improvement are:

• New clip design as described above
• More pre-assembly and some packaging changes to improve the consumer experience

Other Ways You Can Help

Even if you’re not in a position to contribute, that doesn’t mean you can’t help!

Please get the word out and make some noise about our campaign – the new v2.0 webcam’s performance will really impress!

Please remember to use the Indiegogo share tools!