Polaroid – Impossible Instant Camera

Product Brief:

The Impossible Project took over part of the last Polaroid integral instant film manufacturing plant in Enschede (NL) and started inventing and producing completely new instant film materials for traditional Polaroid cameras.

In addition to refurbishing existing Polaroid cameras, the Impossible team launched their first hardware product, the Impossible Instant Lab. This product incorporated a new modular film processing unit designed to form the basis of a future range of cameras.

The Impossible team enlisted the expertise of Wideblue to spearhead the development of a new instant camera. This camera was designed to seamlessly integrate the new film processing unit and adhere to a specific industrial design concept.

Our Approach:

Wideblue undertook all mechanical, optical, electronics and software design to create a fully engineered camera including a shutter with 5 zone taking optics; two position-taking buttons and three position rotary dials; exposure and ranging system; removable pop-up viewfinder; LED flash ring with additional unique UI feedback; Bluetooth to smartphone interface; and China manufacturing tooling development, tech transfer and ongoing support.

Our Solution:

Working with the Impossible team, Wideblue transferred the design to an Asian manufacturer. Wideblue supported the manufacturing start-up and subsequent early production runs.

The camera was launched for public purchase in 2016, marking the first introduction of a new camera for the original Polaroid format in over two decades. Its unique features, including a shutter with 5 zone taking optics, a two-position taking button and three-position rotary dial, and a removable pop-up viewfinder, set it apart in the market.