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Butlers, lunar rovers, snakes and airboats: the best of Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute
How was your week? We got to spend a couple of days trekking around the Carnegie Mellon campus in Pittsburgh, PA to check out some of the latest projects from the school's world renowned Robotics Institute -- a trip that culminated with the bi-annual induction ceremony from the CMU-sponsored Robot Hall of Fame. Given all the craziness of the past seven days, you might have missed some of the awesomeness, but fear not, we've got it all for you here in one handy place -- plus a couple of videos from the trip that we haven't shown you yet. Join us after the break to catch up.
Visualized: GigaPan circa 2006
GigaPan sure has come a long way in a few short years. Sure, it's no Epic Pro, but this old device marked S/N 15 is a pretty cool piece of history for those who love really hi-res images. We spotted it on the shelf of an office here at Carnegie Mellon, clutching on to an old PowerShot point-and-shoot. According to its owner, the tangled device dates back to around 2006. We knew it looked familiar....
GigaPan Epic Pro robotic camera mount gets upgraded to firmware version 171
The GigaPan Epic Pro has been privy to the making of some pretty monumental and highly detailed panoramic images, and now the gigapixel gadget is getting an upgrade. The latest firmware update to the robotic camera mount brings even more exposures per position, a "dedicated mirror lock-up" for bulky lenses, and a time display that tells you how long it will take to work its panoramic magic. Among other things, the update also includes a set of new aspect ratios and the ability to take time lapse panoramas. If you're already packing a GigaPan Epic Pro, you can download the update at the source link below for free -- a brand new rig, on the other hand, will set you back a substantial $900. That ain't cheap, but there's a reason it's called the GigaPan Epic Pro. Full PR after the break.
Carnegie Mellon's GigaPan Time Machine brings time-lapse to panoramas
We've already seen GigaPan technology used for plenty of impressive panoramas, but some researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have now gone one step further with their so-called "GigaPan Time Machine" project. Thanks to the magic of HTML5 and some time-consuming (but automated) photography, you can now "simultaneously explore space and time" right in your web browser -- that is, zoom in and around a large-format panorama that also happens to be a time-lapse video. If you don't feel like exploring yourself, you can also jump straight to some highlights -- like the like the construction of the Hulk statue at the CMU Carnival pictured above. Ht up the source link below to try it out -- just make sure you're in either Chrome and Safari, as they're the only compatible browsers at this time.
360-degree panoramic photograph of London is the world's largest
360cities.net has just announced that its 360-degree, 80 gigapixel photograph of London is the largest of its kind in the world. The most extreme example we've seen to date of the gigapixel photography craze, this is one truly impressive photograph of London. The insanely high resolution shows off the details of many, many human beings walking the streets of the city, as well as showing off seriously gray skies. The photograph was shot over a three day period by Jeffrey Martin, and now eclipses previous major panoramic cityscapes such as those of Paris, Dresden, Budapest and Prague. Hit the source link to waste away a few hours searching for London's own Waldo -- Damon Albarn -- in the beautiful city streets.
GigaPan wins the World Series with 1,539 megapixel zoomable image
Apparently, the US is in throes of another major sporting event. The one where male humans chase balls with sticks and gloves made from wood and cow. How do we know this? Easy, a new 79,828 X 19,290 pixel GigaPan image has just been released for you to get pervy with as the MLB invites you to scour all 1,539 megapixels for friends and family or people whom you wish were your friends or family. The image was taken over a 17-minute span and consists of 280 photos stitched together into an ultra hi-res image. You can even link the site to your Facebook account and start tagging everyone you know. Now hit the source below and let the voyeuristic zoomfest begin! [Thanks, Danny W.]
GigaPan Epic Pro helps create 44,880 megapixel panorama of Dubai skyline, world's largest digital photo
How did the world's foremost manufacturer of robotic camera mounts advertise its flagship product? Simple: it grabbed it, a Canon EOS 7D and some round-trip tickets to Dubai, and set about shooting the largest billboard in the world. Local photographer Gerald Donovan shot a nearly 45 gigapixel panorama of towering spires, desert and sky with his new GigaPan Epic Pro and a couple of the company's engineers for logistical support. You'll find the zoom-in-practically-forever image at our source link, a PR and making-of video after the break, and the cash to buy yourself a similar rig in your offshore bank account. Update: Gerald Donovan writes in to let us know that while GigaPan did help him sort out technical issues in uploading the approximately 1,000,000 images that make up the finely-detailed panorama, the company did not sponsor or commission his work. Incidentally, he's been shooting panoramas of Dubai for some time now. GigPan did revel in the aftermath, however, as a PR after the break shows.
GigaPan Epic Pro robotic camera mount shipping in April
We found GigaPan's Epic 100 robotic camera mount to be an impressive if not entirely practical solution when we got our hands on it back in May of last year, but it's unfortunately of little use with a full-size DSLR. GigaPan is set to fill that gap with its new Epic Pro model, which it's just announced will be available in April. This model will accommodate DSLR and lens combinations up to ten pounds, and give you a 7.2V, 4300mAH rechargeable battery (as opposed to the AAs used in the smaller models), along with a few new features like a multiple triggering option to take multiple shots at each image position. Of course, the Pro model also comes with a pro-minded price -- $895, to be specific.
How would you change Gigapan's Epic camera robot?
Gigapan's Epic camera robot is an interesting beast, and calling it a niche device would be understating things rather dramatically. We had the opportunity to take an Epic 100 for a spin earlier this year, and we're guessing that a few of you adventurous photographers have managed to pick one up since. If so, we're curious to know how you're enjoying things. Are you satisfied with the panoramic results? Is it snappy enough? Versatile enough? Any modifications you'd like to make if you were leading up the redesign? Toss your thoughts in comments below, cool shutterbug?
Engadget's recession antidote: win a GigaPan Epic Imager!
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got a swank GigaPan Epic Imager on offer, ideal for capturing those landscapes in ways you've only dreamed about. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff! Big thanks to GigaPan for providing the gear! The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) GigaPan Epic Imager. Approximate retail value is $299.99. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Friday, July 24st, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
GigaPan Epic 100 hands-on and review, panorama style
You're already well aware of what GigaPan's wild camera robot is capable of when its in masterly hands, but have you ever wondered if such a device is practical for folks who don't have excellent seats for events such as Presidential inaugurations or the Arirang Mass Games? We've been toying around with an Epic 100 for the past week and change, and now that we've had a moment to upload a few of our own panoramas, we figured we'd toss our two pennies into the ring. Eager to know if this gigapixel image creator is really worth its avoirdupois in cold, hard cash? Head on past the break to find out.
GigaPan Epic imager released, your party photos will never be the same
You may have heard about that absolutely giant (1,474 megapixel) photo taken of the Inauguration using a Canon G10 and a GigaPan Imager. Well, today the company's launched the GigaPan Epic for commercial sale. It works with most point-and-shoots, and composes a single photograph from many (the inaugural photo was 220) shots. A robotic mount attached to the camera automates the process of taking all of those images, so you don't need to worry about missing any of the details. The GigaPan Epic is available now for $379, and a GigaPan Epic 100 for larger point-and-shoot models is expected "soon." Full PR after the break. [Via Photography Blog]
Gigapan Imager used to craft 1,474 megapixel image of Obama's inauguration
In theory, at least, we already knew that the Gigapan Imager was capable of some amazing things. This, friends, is proof. David Bergman strapped the device and his Canon G10 onto a rail at Barack Obama's inauguration and snapped 220 images. After giving his MacBook Pro 6.5 hours to compile a two gigabyte image, he hosted it up on his website for people to zoom around on. We'll caution you -- you can easy kill a few hours checking out faces and such if you end up visiting the read link, but it's totally worth it.[Via Gadling]
Gigapan robot snaps panoramic views, assembles results
We're absolutely certain there's a vast array of naturally gifted photographers out there that don't need a robot to do a man's job, but for those of us who can't hold our elbows perfectly still and snap a dozen or so photographs in a panoramic pattern without ruining the entire shot, Gigapan's got you covered. The robotic shooting platform was developed by Carnegie Mellon University and the NASA Ames Intelligent Robot Group, and can manhandle almost any digital camera in order to capture a wide-angle view of any particular scene without the breaks we humans often inject. The robot will click away depending on a timer and the number of snapshots that users program in, resulting in a very high resolution, widescreen image of a crime scene, vacation overlook, or your entire basement wall of Transformers posters. Moreover, the team has developed accompanying software to "piece together" the resulting images, leaving a nearly flawless reproduction of a panoramic view with an immensely increased level of detail. Expected to cost "around $200 or less," the Gigapan could be in civilian hands as early as next month, after which we'll have to start an entirely new photo contest devoted to cramming as many miles as possible into a single, uber-wide shot, but for now, be sure to click on through for a small taste of what this monkey can do.[Via Primidi]
