How can we make astrophotography more accessible to people interested in the night sky?

Depending on the system, controlling a telescope can be challenging, especially for beginners. Yet events like blood moons, solar eclipses, and images from the James Webb Space Telescope spark our curiosity for the nightsky and make us want to explore and capture images ourselves.

“With little prior knowledge of astrophotography, I immersed myself in the field through competitor and market research, online surveys, expert interviews, workshops, product analyses, and community meetups.

I also travelled to Saas-Fee, Switzerland, to experience astrophotography first-hand under optimal conditions.

This hands-on research helped me move beyond assumptions and develop a concept grounded in real user needs and insights.”

User-experience & insights from professionals

This research was supported by a comprehensive 200+ page Bachelor’s thesis, documenting the process, findings, and analysis in depth.

The following key insights emerged from this extensive body of research:

Analysis Conclusion

Painpoints

Astrophotography = Astronomie = Physics

Interested users face a steep learning curve, from navigating the night sky to understanding observing conditions and optical equipment.

Different objects need different tools

No telescope is perfect for every object. It depends on its apparent size and brightness.

Controlling multiple systems at once

Keeping control of the telescope, mount, and camera is challenging, as any mistake can ruin an image.

Climate, light pollution and earth rotation

Environmental situation on earth is a problem a personal product can’t solve.

Potential

A new field of use

Astrophotography is rooted in astronomy.

Capturing high-quality images of celestial objects requires users to operate both the telescope and the camera with precision.

Most telescope manufacturers assume that users already possess a solid understanding of astronomy and therefore design their products primarily for experienced enthusiasts.

As a result, there is an opportunity to develop a product that makes professional astrophotography more accessible to less experienced users without compromising image quality.

Conception

io – Astrophotography System

Accessible Astrophotography

Designed for beginners and users who are primarily focused on creating stunning images.

Modular Telescope Tubes

Interchangeable telescope tubes provide access to a wide range of celestial objects.

Auto Tracking & GoTo Control

Automatically tracks celestial objects, allowing users to focus on the creative process instead of constantly operating the telescope, mount, and camera.

AI supported Image Stacking

Minimizes image degradation caused by atmospheric conditions by combining multiple exposures into a single high-quality image.