Olympus creates 360-degree HD camera and projector

Sure, regular HD is nice -- you really get a gander at an anchorman's makeup, and the stars' wrinkles are shocking -- but does it go far enough? Olympus doesn't think so. The camera company -- long known to bring the goods on the picture-takin' end -- has just created the first 360-degree, 1080i camera and projection solution. Utilizing a proprietary system based around an "axisymmetric free-form-surface lens," the camera can shoot video at horizontal and vertical viewing angles of 360-and-50-degrees, respectively; the images can then be projected in the same range by a separate unit. Obviously, you won't see this in the consumer sector any time soon, but it does open some pretty interesting opportunities for installations and security alike.

[Flashpoint @ Nov 21st 2007 8:19AM]

the inside of Master Chief's helmet

[Joe @ Nov 21st 2007 8:58AM]

5 or 6 cameras would be easier and cheaper methinks.

[Shane @ Nov 21st 2007 11:02AM]

Holodeck 1.0?

[superfresh @ Nov 21st 2007 8:24AM]

Didn't Disneyworld used to have an exhibit like this? Obviously not HD...am I crazy? You stood in a room and it looked like you were riding in a car...you could see views from all angles. This would be the mid 80s.

[dataminer49er @ Nov 21st 2007 8:31AM]

Yea you are right, but the setup was 8 movie screens and 8 projectors that were synced up.

[dataminer49er @ Nov 21st 2007 8:36AM]

After a quick search here is the wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle-Vision_360%C2%B0

[Esat @ Nov 21st 2007 8:30AM]

A 360 degree game of Halo?

*faints*

[John @ Nov 21st 2007 8:40AM]

that is easily one of the cooler developments i've seen so far

[Dan Z @ Nov 21st 2007 8:49AM]

But where do you put your chair?

[nathan.wong @ Nov 21st 2007 8:54AM]

I want one!

[Neil @ Nov 21st 2007 9:17AM]

You'd think that they would put the cable to the camera in the bottom or through the middle so that it doesn't show up in the panaramic though.

[theberries @ Nov 21st 2007 9:26AM]

I don't know, someone is going to have to help me out here:

A 360 degree camera for security functions? Yes. But you wouldn't use the projector to display the image. You might miss something. You'd surely want it the entire picture viewable from one angle.

A 360 degree projector for games? Absolutely. Would take some getting used to. Like you wouldn't move the mouse to look left or right any more...you'd just turn your head and look.

Now, 360 movies sound impossible to me. Well, unless it's an animated/CGI/Dreamworks film. I mean, using a 360 degree camera on a film set would be impossible. Too many people on the set, etc.

I'd like to see it on football games. Slap one of those cameras above the line of scrimmage, add the ability to pan the image from the TV remote and you've got yourself a really cool feature.

[Dave @ Nov 21st 2007 1:06PM]

360 degree movies difficult? Very much so. Impossible? I think not. It's not a spherical camera... only 50 degrees of vertical space is used. Therefore, as long as the set is contiguous (no imaginary 4th wall) and the camera can run without cables that would get in the shot, then it may be possible to rig the set for this. Either mount the camera on a device that allows it to hang down and paint the ceiling green (so it can be filled in later), or put it on a dolly with someone on a seat (or on someone's head?).

So, no live sitcoms, but some movies... yeah, this could be interesting. Probably only good for short films, though... seating in such a theater, well, it's bound to have difficulties.

[Richard Ahlquist @ Nov 21st 2007 9:32AM]

Awesome what a brilliant idea! A 360deg camera with the cord dangling in the field of view. That should be on the cover of stupid engineering monthly.

[Wwhat @ Nov 21st 2007 3:42PM]

ahaha, well spotted.

[Michael Shire @ Nov 21st 2007 10:31AM]

This doesn't sound too difficult to engineer. A conical mirror in front of a HD camera, and the same conical mirror in front of the projector.

Add in one omni-directional treadmill (http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/10/omni-directional-treadmill-could-put-you-in-the-game/) and you have yourself one wicked video game.

[Kizorblade @ Nov 21st 2007 10:51AM]

Perfect for security systems? Hell yeah!

"Oh my god! He's stealing our electronics! And look at his face! Yuck!"

[Nick Thorpe @ Nov 21st 2007 11:26AM]

I work for a company who already does this typ of projection.

www.immersivedisplay.co.uk interested in your comments to how the technology can be used in the future. Currently used for simulation, marketing, gaming and also architectural walkthroughs.

many thanks :)

Nick

[Plewis @ Nov 21st 2007 12:02PM]

I also work for a company that does this, and our camera captures 2400x1200. We were written up in pcworld magazine and Popular Mechanics this month.

Or just check out immersivemedia.com

[dhughes @ Nov 21st 2007 12:52PM]

The power / data cable coming out of the top looks like it will be in every shot you take. Not a very good spot to put it.

[miko34 @ Nov 21st 2007 2:20PM]

Finally, something that the people at TAPS could use for their Ghost Hunters show. This will show those ghosts that seem to only appear slightly off camera.

And yeah I agree, why is that cable at the top instead of coming from the bottom of it? Won't that cover a section of the 360 degree lens?

[LordJohnWhorfin @ Nov 21st 2007 2:25PM]

Looks like they might be hearing from BeHere's patent attorneys in 3... 2... 1...

[ozzzy @ Nov 21st 2007 2:30PM]

Electronic Arts had something similar on display at their E3 booth in 2005 and 2006.

The Good:
This has applications beyond TV, game developers could more easily utilize this technology than film/TV makers. Imagine a sports, FPS, simulation games using this. Very cool stuff.

The Bad:
This will take at least 10-15 years to end up in the home.

The Ugly:
Youtube, enough said.

[Todd in L.A. @ Nov 21st 2007 5:32PM]

And the dystopia of Ray Bradbury's "Farenheit 451" comes closer and closer to being... Poor us.

[Ben Allan @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:10AM]

I also work for a company who does this kind of projection. We project 360x360 degrees over the surfaces of inflatable spheres and can see applications for this technology in terms of making spherical content for our displays.

Our current solutions already offer the ability to view these images externally, from outside of the sphere, and we have plans to be able to offer 360x360 spherical immersion in the future...

www.pufferfishdisplays.co.uk if you're interested

[Courchel @ Nov 22nd 2007 6:22PM]

Hardly the first nor the nost interesting immersive solution: Check this out at www.panoscope360.com

[HaPPI @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:40PM]

This is exactly what I want on the roof of my car, about the size of a bottle cap, that records video to a SD card when I hit my brakes hard or other hard accelerations/deccelerations. I'm tired of arguing with the police to get them to do their jobs because I can't prove someone ran me off the road. Not just a dashcam, call it CrashCam. People are much more truthful when you have vide-yo.

[Typhoid Mary @ Nov 25th 2007 10:16AM]

Soylent Green here we come...

[Immorta @ Dec 20th 2007 4:55PM]

there's also famous LadyBug (1 & 2) sherical video camera from Point Gray http://www.ptgrey.com/products/legacy.asp