By Robin Sandhu
New Tech Expert
Virtual reality shows great promise in the world of games, and even
more distant and interesting promise in the world of theatre. Games are
receiving the attention now, with many commenting that the Oculus
provides users with that critical feeling of “presence” in the VR
experience that had been missing until now. But already there are hints
that VR may expand beyond the boundaries of gaming into the world of
cinema. For this to happen, camera equipment that is capable of
capturing the data needed for VR must be used, and these cameras are now
entering the market: here is a look at the latest crop of 360 degree
camera technology.
Cameras are Emerging
The development of
360 degree cameras are in an early stage, resolving between dedicated
cameras for the task, and software packages that can stitch together the
output of traditional high end equipment. Well-known imaging company Kodak
has the SP360, a 16 megapixel camera that can capture wide fields of
view in a number of configurations, from a 360 degree ring, to a dome,
to a globe.
The camera is built for active use in a similar
vein to the popular GoPro line of products, and the SP360 can be
operated wirelessly, allowing it to be mounted in various applications.
A
number of products are making speculative forays into a market for the
home consumer. The BublCam is a product that started as a Kickstarter
project in 2013. The BublCam is a spherical camera that integrates
multiple wide angle lenses to create a 360 degree video that can then be
stitched together in software. The camera itself is compact, only
slightly larger than a baseball. The Kickstarter project was successful,
raising over $300,000 against a $100,000 goal. The camera is now
available at a retail price of $699.
There is obviously a growing
desire for this form of photography among consumers, and a number of
other camera makers are entering to capture this market. The Ricoh Theta
offers a handheld design, with the latest models able to capture video.
Companies like VSN and Giroptic are also developing cameras for more
professional applications.
Software Stitching
Many 360
degree cameras capture image information through multiple lenses, and
rely on software to integrate the different images into a panoramic
whole. Kolor is a company that specializes in stitching together image
information for virtual tours and 360 degree video. As the software for
this process becomes more refined, the camera hardware required to
achieve 360 degree video will become less specialized, allowing video to
be stitched together from as simple a setup as four GoPro cameras that
have been bound together. True VR experiences will require multiple
camera setups to capture information to mimic the action of human eyes.
Kolor has taken this into account, and has launched Kolor Eyes, a
platform for storing and sharing 360 degree videos, including separate
eye information.
Oculus Movie Studio
Oculus, arguably the
pioneers of the modern VR renaissance, have recently announced their
intentions with VR movies. Recognizing that VR experiences of all kinds
could benefit from the knowledge already available in the movie
industry, Oculus has formed Story Studio, partnering with a former
executive of Pixar.
The early announcements out of Story Studio has been that VR movies
will focus on CG moviemaking in the style popularized by Pixar, at least
for the short term. A number of projects are in the works, with a short
film, entitled “Lost” already announced.
Oculus will likely be
focused on CG in the short term as technology for live action VR capture
works to catch up. The 360 degree camera technology that is currently
available is unlikely to be sufficient to create a satisfying VR
experience, but with the industry moving very quickly, and hardware and
software innovations happening all the time, this gap will close in very
quick fashion.
source: about.com
