Andrew Wigney was in Australia in 2006 managing a data cabling business when due to not having visibility in the ceiling space, someone drilled through a water main causing flooding. Those at the hotel couldn’t turn the water off because they couldn’t see what was in the ceiling. Wigney thought of putting a camera on the end of a long pole to get inside the ceiling to view the situation: Bingo! He had the idea for the world’s first wireless, rechargeable inspection camera and cable pulling tool. Realizing the invention, however, took time. “I had to wait five years for the advancement of Li-Ion technology and to find a camera design and a shape that worked well,” he said.
The result: He created what’s now called a Ferret. The world’s first wireless inspection camera and cable pulling tool. The Ferret is a small compact camera that allows the user to see and access dark, hard to reach spaces and find and pull in cables easier, faster, and safer. It can be attached to a glow rod or fish stick that can slide easily into tight spaces, wall cavities, ceilings, under floors or anywhere where access is hard to reach, and visibility can be difficult for the electrical contractor and for other trades. The tool can see and reach in places where the tradesperson can’t. Wirelessly linked to a cell phone the user can watch a live video feed and hook a cable without having to physically be inside the ceiling. Today, Wigney’s Auckland, New Zealand company, Ferret Tools, offers three new products packed with the latest technology: The Ferret Lite, Ferret Pro and the Ferret Plus.
At the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) NECA NASHVILLE OCTOBER 2021 Ferret Tools was recognized by NECA for a Showstopper Award for their Ferret Plus model at the 2021 Convention, an award that highlights the best new innovative products geared to electrical contractors. Ferret Tools are passionate about designing and engineering reliable, useful, durable inspection cameras to help support easier, faster, and safer inspections, cable installations, maintenance and repair work – for on the job or at home.
