Discovery Channel Project
Engineering a Camera System to Go Over Niagara Falls
Custom Polycarbonate Fabrication for Discovery Channel’s Ultimate Niagara Falls
The Project
A Camera Enclosure Built for the Falls
When the Discovery Channel wanted to capture the extraordinary perspective of travelling down the Niagara River and plunging over Niagara Falls, it required a custom-built enclosure capable of protecting sensitive camera equipment under extreme conditions. Wayman Harten was selected to help bring this ambitious concept to life.
Wayman Harten, owner of Acrylics By Design and known as “The Plastics Man,” designed and fabricated an incredibly durable, transparent polycarbonate camera enclosure. The custom structure was engineered to house and protect two high-definition cameras while still allowing them to capture a clear, unobstructed view of the journey.
The Build
Engineered for One of Nature’s Most Extreme Environments
The enclosure was securely mounted to a specially constructed flotation raft and released into the Niagara River above the Falls. From there, the raft was carried through the powerful current before travelling over the edge, giving viewers a dramatic, first-person perspective that had rarely been captured before.
This project presented a unique fabrication challenge. The camera enclosure needed to provide exceptional impact resistance, dependable protection from water and debris, strong structural integrity and excellent optical clarity. Every component had to work together while being exposed to one of the most powerful and unpredictable natural environments in the world.
The successful result demonstrated the strength and versatility of expertly fabricated polycarbonate. Despite the intense movement, water pressure and impact involved in the descent, the custom enclosure allowed the cameras to document the entire experience.
Project Gallery
Inside the Build
From CAD drawings and CNC-cut polycarbonate to the finished enclosure riding the rapids above the Falls — a closer look at how the project came together.
Our Approach
From an Extraordinary Idea to a Working Solution
The Niagara Falls project represents what Acrylics By Design does best: transforming unusual, technically demanding ideas into practical custom-fabricated solutions. From initial planning and material selection to fabrication and final assembly, Acrylics By Design combines creativity, precision and decades of hands-on plastics experience. Whether a project involves a protective camera housing, commercial display, equipment guard, custom enclosure, prototype or one-of-a-kind structure, the team approaches every challenge with careful attention to performance, durability and appearance.
Watch
Over the Edge of Niagara Falls
Watch the video to experience the incredible journey and see how a custom polycarbonate creation by Acrylics By Design helped capture a completely new view of Niagara Falls.
Get In Touch
Have a Custom Project in Mind?
Bring your concept to Acrylics By Design. Our team works with acrylic, Plexiglas, Lexan, polycarbonate and other plastic materials to design and fabricate custom solutions for businesses, designers, manufacturers, media productions and individual clients. From thought to fabrication, we help turn challenging ideas into professionally built finished products.
