As virtual reality becomes more available and widespread, there are more interesting applications of this technology. Virtual Human Interaction Lab (VHIL) at Stanford has created a VR experience that lets you put yourself in someone else’s shoes. In their project, they use VR to show you what it’s like to be homeless.
Google is buying Lytro for around $40,000,000
Google, it seems, is acquiring Lytro. Yes, the company that made that crazy light field camera and then got out of photography to move into VR and cinema is being snapped up. In a deal which TechCrunch report to be worth either $40mil or $25mil, depending on who you ask, Google will pick up the company in an “asset sale”. Presumably, this will include the 59 patents related to light-field and imaging technology which Lytro owns.
This rotating GoPro rig captures realistic VR images
Virtual reality can take you to places you otherwise couldn’t see, and there’s still plenty of room for improving and experimenting with VR technology. In a recent blog post, Google has announced that they’re experimenting with light field photography to create more realistic VR experience. To make this possible, the company is using a solution that seems pretty simple and clever: a rig made of 16 rotating GoPro cameras.
Artist uses VR technology to recreate photography exhibition from 1839
Virtual reality and photography have been merged in interesting ways before. But artist Mat Collishaw has decided to combine them with history and recreate the world’s first major photography exhibition. He uses VR technology to recreate William Henry Fox Talbot’s exhibition from 1839. This allows visitors not only to experience the sights, but also sensations and sounds which followed the original exhibition from 1839.
Meet D3-U, the first real-life camera that captures photos in virtual reality
It’s been a while since virtual reality has left sci-fi movies and became available to the masses. And now we can even take photos in virtual world. Design studio dotdotdash has introduced D3-U, the first camera of this kind.
Dotdotdash synchronized the announcement of the D3-U with the VIVE Tracker, which was announced at CES 2017. These two combined enable you to take photos in the virtual world, and even more than that.
Want to get into VR but don’t know what rig to buy? Watch this video
Virtual and augmented reality has become a big deal in the last couple of years. There’s a lot of different options out there now for shooting and streaming 360° content. If you want to get into VR content, though, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Most of the currently available solutions are quite expensive. The ones that aren’t may be inadequate for your needs.
This video from Pixvana walks us through the basic options. It helps us make decisions based on our own requirements. If you just want to stream to Facebook, for example, you don’t need a rig costing tens of thousands of dollars. On the other hand, if you want to make super detailed high resolution immersive content, you’re probably not going to manage it with a Theta.
Facebook posts its Open Source 3D 360 camera rig and software to GitHub
Facebook first introduced the world to Surround 360 in April. It’s a 3D 360° camera rig that shoots up to 8K footage per eye. They announced at launch that all the designs and software would be coming to GitHub this summer and it’s finally here.
Built using 17 4MP cameras, it has a total cost of around $30,000. So, it’s not the type of inexpensive weekend project to do with your kids. It will, however, produce significantly better footage than most consumer 360° solutions. At that kind of price, though, you’d expect as much.
Ricoh’s new 4K Theta 360° VR camera announcement expected soon
With the Ricoh Theta m15 showing as discontinued for a couple of colours on B&H, and the demands of VR and 360° camera users already increasing far beyond the 1080p limits of the Theta S, now would be a great time for Ricoh to announce a new 4K VR camera,
According to Pentax Rumours, that’s exactly Ricoh are preparing to do, and are expecting an official announcement could be made during Photokina in September.
Snapchat’s “lenses” contain a whole lot of cool technology
Snapchat might be quite a silly and frivolous app to some people, while others live on it. Regardless of your thoughts on its practical application, it employs some pretty serious technology in order to be able to do what it does with its “lenses”, or filters as most people call them.
From the same facial recognition principles found in your DSLR to advanced feature & motion tracking in 3D space, a lot of the technology, while advanced, isn’t really all that new. What is new is the ability for all these tasks to be performed together simultaneously in real time.
Getty’s leaps head on into the virtual reality market with over 12,000 new 360° images
This week, Getty have launched the new Getty Images Virtual Reality Group with over 12,000 360° images, as well as gigapixel content from major events and venues.
Getty started on their 360 degree quest in 2012 at the London Olympics and at this year’s Rio Games, the company has said that every Getty photographer will possess a 360° camera.
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