Kinesys: two decades of entertainment innovation
As Kinesys enters its third decade, we look back at some of the groundbreaking innovations that have shaped our history over the past 20 years.
It was way back in 2003, during our first month of trading, that we received an enquiry for variable speed control of the humble chain hoist. That set the tone for the coming 20 years as we locked ourselves in development for the next two months before emerging, squinting in the sunlight, with the Elevation Variable Speed Chain Hoist Controller.
Alongside the pioneering Vector software—freshly field-tested on The Rolling Stones’ Licks tour the previous year—Elevation controllers found their way onto both Bon Jovi’s and Robbie Williams’ 2003 tours just six months after Kinesys was born. From these auspicious beginnings, Elevation and Vector would go on to cement their reputation as genre-defining products, becoming the go-to automation solution for a host of world-class touring acts, designers and production managers.
Continuing the mould-breaking work of those products, in the years to follow, we developed our high-end, fixed-speed hoist controller, DigiHoist. Showcasing exceptional safety credentials, DigiHoist was the first controller to offer integral load-cell monitoring, able to react to abnormal loads and cease motion without human intervention.
Next up, with load monitoring at its heart, we created the Libra range of products, built around a shackle-based load cell. Libra products seamlessly integrated with existing Kinesys products and once again were at the vanguard of technological development in the industry.
U2’s 360 world tour in 2009 provided the stage for the further evolution of Elevation. Kinesys EVO* chain hoists and winches flew and transformed the shape of the now iconic oval video screen that was central to the band’s creative vision.
Fast forward to 2017, and the touring world was a very different place with a host of new safety legislation and technologies. We upped the ante once again with the launch of the Apex controller and hoist combination, designed to set the standard for others to follow over the next two decades.
In 2023, Kinesys is as dedicated as ever to raising industry standards and pushing the technology envelope as part of the TAIT group. We look forward to many more decades of innovation, creating products that enable the live entertainment industry to reach dazzling new creative heights.
*EVO was the next evolution of Elevation. This subsequently evolved into Apex.
