Following hot on the heels of such technological wizardry as 'boulder-cam', 'ant-cam' and 'barnacle-cam', BBC Sport's first 'crowd-cam' debuts this weekend at the RBS Six Nations rugby tournament.

Following hot on the heels of such technological wizardry as "boulder-cam", "ant-cam" and "barnacle-cam", BBC Sport's first "crowd-cam" debuts this weekend at the RBS Six Nations rugby tournament.

Developed by BBC Outside Broadcast, the cable-free device aims to capture the atmosphere from the fans' perspective at broadcast quality. It will also offer flexibility for tunnel and pitch-side interviews.

Director of BBC Sport Peter Salmon called it the next phase of the evolution towards capturing the action "from the punter's point of view".

The system, based on a conferencing camera, was designed by BBC OB special facilities manager Paul McNeil. The compact equipment fits neatly on the back of the camera operator and allows the operator to walk among the crowd with a minimum of health and safety risks.

Salmon added that the pace of rugby and the spirit of the crowd make it ideal for the use of the crowd-cam.

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