Visual Grabber, A Tool You Didn’t Know You Needed
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Standard Grabbers vs. Visual Grabbers
Have you ever dropped a bolt in an engine, or a valuable piece of jewelry down a drain? Imagine how long it would take to disassemble an engine or a drain to get to an object that you can view and pick up within seconds. Borescope grabbers are an invaluable tool to retrieve hard to reach or objects that are not visible due to dropping or other factors. Given the time and labor these endeavors take, a borescope grabbing tool pays for itself after one or several uses. The visual grabber is a forward-facing borescope with a camera, lighting, and a grabbing tool at the front of the probe that can be extended and retracted to view and pick up objects. There are inexpensive grabbing tools on the market like the ones in the links below which has a retrieving claw and some with a built-in light but no camera. While these are useful, sometimes the object to be picked up may not be visible inside an enclosure making the job more difficult and sometimes impossible. With a Visual Grabber, the user can easily see what is inside or in front of the grabber and take out the desired object easily by inserting the probe into a space and retrieve objects with the retractable grabber arms. |
Blue Eye ™ grabber with a USB video output to PC or Phone
What is a visual grabber?
A visual grabber is a pick up tool with a camera installed at the end of the probe. One can see the objects on the front of the grabber probe through this camera. The camera can be at the center of the grabber claws, or on the side of the grabber claws. With the camera, one can see what are there before picking up the desired object. Alternate Names for Visual Grabbers The visual or borescope grabber may be advertised under different names such as a peep grabber, peeking grabber, pickup tool with a camera, golden eye retrieval tool, hawkeye pickup retrieval grabber tool, camera-assisted retrieval tool (CART), and blue-eye grabber tool, remote inspection and pick up tool, retrieval tool with a camera, etc. |
Regular pick-up retrivering grabber tool
Components of a visual grabber retrieving tool:
In general, there are at least four parts for a visual grabber pick-up tool
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BlueEye grabber tool with LED lights, camera and magnet
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Three types of visual grabber borescopes:
1.Grabber borescopes with a built-in LCD monitor screen
2.Grabber borescopes with a USB camera output for phones, tablets, or computers
3.Borescopes with working channels for tools such as forceps, grippers, snare, magnets etc.
1.Grabber borescopes with a built-in LCD monitor screen
2.Grabber borescopes with a USB camera output for phones, tablets, or computers
3.Borescopes with working channels for tools such as forceps, grippers, snare, magnets etc.
USB Computers and Smartphone Compatible Visual Grabbers
For the grabber borescopes with USB output, you can use the pickup tool borescope with a laptop (Windows, MacOS, Chromebook or Linux) or tablet (iPad or Android Windows tablet) or phone (iPhone or Android phone).
Examples Vividia G-1510 and 1510i (15mm diameter, 1 meter long Spring Tube Stainless Probe) Vividia G-1510, G1510i Grabber Vividia G-810 Grabber/ G-610 Grabber (Small Diameter Semi-Rigid Gooseneck 6mm and 8mm Diameter, 3ft or 5ft Long) Vividia G-810, G-610 Grabber Vividia G-810i Grabber (8mm outer diameter grabber for iPhone iPad) G-810i iOS Grabber |
Visual Grabbers with Built-In LCD Screen Display
Visual grabbers with an LCD screen allow the user to have an all-in-one instrument with a viewing display built-in to the tool. Some examples of these include the following. Examples Ullman E-CART Ullman Camera Assisted Retrieval Tool Inspectron Grabber: Grabber - Inspectron Vividia G-810U and USB Monitor Bundle: USB Blue Eye grabber and a USB monitor |
Borescopes with Working Channels for Grabbing Tools
There are borescopes that feature a working channel which allow tools such as suction tubes, brushes, and even forceps to be pushed through to the end of the borescope where the camera and lighting is located. The forceps are a type of grabbing tool used in retrieval for a variety of uses including industrial as well as medical and veterinary applications. Here are some examples of borescopes with working channels.
Examples Vividia CX-8510M (8.5mm Diameter, 1 Meter Long with 2.6mm working channel) CX-8510M Working Channel Borescope Vividia SV-4-8020 (8mm (0.32") Diameter 2m Long 2.6mm Inner Diameter Channel) Vividia SV-4-8020 Working Channel Borescope |
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Applications of Visual Grabber Retrieval Tools:
Some applications for grabber borescopes or visual grabbers include those used in Aviation and Automotive Maintenance for retrieving bolts and other dropped objects, Industrial, Plumbing for unclogging drains, Home/Personal Use such as finding objects down drains and pipes, or removing debris from tight spaces. Also used in applications for HVAC professionals, insurance adjusters, maintenance staff, marine mechanics, roadside assistance personnel, trade professionals, and manufacturing professionals.
Some applications for grabber borescopes or visual grabbers include those used in Aviation and Automotive Maintenance for retrieving bolts and other dropped objects, Industrial, Plumbing for unclogging drains, Home/Personal Use such as finding objects down drains and pipes, or removing debris from tight spaces. Also used in applications for HVAC professionals, insurance adjusters, maintenance staff, marine mechanics, roadside assistance personnel, trade professionals, and manufacturing professionals.
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Limitation of Visual Grabbers
Some drawbacks of the visual grabber are that the camera is covered by the retracted claw upon entry which may make it challenging to navigate to the desired object that you want to retrieve. Once inside, the claw can be opened and live video from the camera can be seen. Space also may be limited within the enclosure which may not allow the claw to be fully extended which will make the pickup more difficult. In any case, the benefits certainly outweigh the disadvantages of using a visual grabber.
What to consider when choosing a visual grabber?
A visual grabber is a useful tool for mechanics, technitians, engineers, maintanance professionals, plumbers, and HVAC experts. There are several factors one needs to consider before purchasing a visual grabber tool to meet one's applications:
* If you need a very long probe, contact us for customization. 16ft / 5m probe or longer is possible.
Some drawbacks of the visual grabber are that the camera is covered by the retracted claw upon entry which may make it challenging to navigate to the desired object that you want to retrieve. Once inside, the claw can be opened and live video from the camera can be seen. Space also may be limited within the enclosure which may not allow the claw to be fully extended which will make the pickup more difficult. In any case, the benefits certainly outweigh the disadvantages of using a visual grabber.
What to consider when choosing a visual grabber?
A visual grabber is a useful tool for mechanics, technitians, engineers, maintanance professionals, plumbers, and HVAC experts. There are several factors one needs to consider before purchasing a visual grabber tool to meet one's applications:
- Probe head overall diameter and size. From 6mm / 0.24" to 21mm / 0.81"
- Insertion probe type and length. From 1.2ft long to 5ft long*
- What device to use to display live image, iPhone, iPad, Android, a laptop, or USB monitor, or a built-in LCD screen?
- Camera quality such as resolution and focus range
- Cost
* If you need a very long probe, contact us for customization. 16ft / 5m probe or longer is possible.
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