Technology for Capturing 360 Degree Video

Inzite writes "EnterNetica R&D is working on a new spherical video technology for capturing and presenting full 360 degree scenes using a 180 degree lens, by adaptively predicting the camera's surroundings. Video extrapolation techniques have been proposed in the past, but this is the first time I've heard of an entire hemisphere of the video image being "guessed". The article also talks about feature film presentation using fully-immersive video in the future."

Comments

Link / Movies?

[RUFFyamahaRYDER]

Here is google cache: thanks google.

I can't wait to see what movie theatres do with this technology. Maybe not our typical theatres, but yenno... like the one's at theme parks or something. I'm sure can make a pretty cool short movie with this.

Re:Why not two cameras?

[AKAImBatman]

I knew I'd seen this technology somewhere, so I went digging. Here's a story that discusses IPIX using two fisheye lenses back to back.

NetCam is a development of the original iPIX bubble camera, a unit that featured a pair of cameras with fish eye lenses in a single housing the size of a standard SLR camera. What was so special about the iPIX bubble camera was the fact those CCDs and lenses were facing away from each other.

(Emphasis mine.)

Google search results

[karvind]

Seems like we killed it again.

Google links on EnterNetica

(a) OPTICS ADVANCES BRING VOLUMETRIC VIDEO TO LIFE

(b) Pressbox link

(c) Cleaner, Crisper Volumetric Images

Company webpage

Re:Why not two cameras?

[zev1983]

It is odd seeing as there is a lens system in existence that can take 360 degree pictures. It uses a funky lens that goes all the way around like a donut IIRC, and the camera is mounted below the lens assembly... OH, here's one http://www.sony.net/Products/SC-HP/cx_news/vol34/f eaturing2.html and here http://www.bugeyedigital.com/product_main/036-0360 d.html , hell just type in 360 lens into google and tons of stuff pops up. Looks like the people marketing this are full of shit, and don't know anything about physics, or optics. Article is /.ed so I can't check out anything past the /. summary and what you said.

This isn't new...

[fragmentate]

There were teams using Amigas doing this years ago. I recall 2 such products: ProVu, and Cosmo. ProVu was used for "interior design." And Cosmo was used by cosmetic surgeons.

Re:Why not two cameras?

['t is DjiM]

This lens does not offer you the possibility to record a full 360 image... There is no data about what can be seen below and above the viewer. What they do is creating a spherical image, not just a doughnut (which is what your "funky lens" is capable of).

The recorded image can then be viewed (my guess is by a kind of VR goggles) allowing the viewer full viewing freedom.

Next time you say somebody is full of shit, make sure you're not mistaken yourself.

Re:Why not two cameras?

[modecx]

You're confused by the terminology, I think. The guys in the article want to capture a full spherical image (which is possible with 180 degree fisheye lenses, taking 6 pictures at various angles, and stitching them together), those lenses you presented capture 360 degrees in a cylindrical fashion, also cool, but not what they want.

I've seen sperical quicktime files, a LONG time ago. They were neat.

You can buy two existing similar systems

[Thagg]

At Siggraph this year, there were two similar systems on display. They are unbelievably cool.

1) Point Gray's Ladybug2 has five cameras mounted in a box about the size of, say, a stack of three decks of cards.

2) Immersive Media's system has 11 (!) cameras in a sphere about 2 inches on a side.

Both systems do real-time stitching of the multiple images into a panorama.

We're looking into them for the obvious motion-picture visual effects applications. The resolution (both spatial and dynamic) is not ideal for motion-picture work, but the ability to have an extremely small, lightweight, panoramic capture is a tradeoff that is worthy of pursuit. In the past (say, on The Fast and The Furious) we used six ARRI 435 cameras mounted to the side of a motorcycle, to the tune of several thousand dollars a day rental, hundreds of pounds of weight, and fairly compromised images in other ways (bad lens flare, extremely bouncy images.)

Thad Beier
Hammerhead Productions