Panoramic ‘Ball Camera’ for 360 Degree View
- Posted on October 14, 2011 at 6:40pm by
Liz Klimas
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This patent pending ‘Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera’ combines 360 panoramic photographic capability with tossablity. It’s the first to combine these two elements.
Watch how it works:
As the video explains, the 36 mobile phone camera take their shot when the ball is at its highest point — at this point, the ball is relatively steady and hardly moves for a split second before gravity drags it down.
Jonas Pfeil and his peers at Computer Graphics Group, TU Berlin, created the ball camera, which “lets users interactively explore a full representation of the captured environment.” Here’s how it works:
Our camera contains an accelerometer which we use to measure launch acceleration. Integration lets us predict rise time to the highest point, where we trigger the exposure. After catching the ball camera, pictures are downloaded in seconds using USB and automatically shown in our spherical panoramic viewer.
The green material around the ball protects it just in case the thrower isn’t able to catch it.
[H/T Engadget]
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suspicious-activity
Posted on October 18, 2011 at 2:20pmThis type of device was originally developed for the U.S. Military to throw into houses and get a 360 image inside it. I saw it demonstrated years ago. Guess it is now a retail product for the public, but it was originally a Intel gathering tool. I thought the inventors were out of the Research Triangle here in the U.S. but maybe they sold the patent to TU Berlin?
Report Post »bum
Posted on October 18, 2011 at 9:51amyou can use this to spy, enable with bluetooth and if it was found you couldn’t track it to the perp. A peeping tom’s dream come true!
Report Post »Mr.Fitnah
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 8:48pmWe need jobs and Obama urinal cakes. Not spy toys!
Report Post »stotlaat
Posted on October 16, 2011 at 12:28pmworks for me! Especially if it will transmit to a tablet. Very handy
Report Post »JustSomeGuy
Posted on October 15, 2011 at 11:40pm3d art uses panoramic shots for lighting all the time, this may help in the 3d industry if they can increase the quality of the shots.
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on October 15, 2011 at 10:02pmWow, if you’re on patrol in Afghanistan, you might just toss an innocent looking ball up in the air, and see in windows and behind walls. Cool! Way cool!
Report Post »Chuck T
Posted on October 16, 2011 at 8:21amGreat application (especially if it is camouflaged)!
Downside: I can imagine, if it sells to civilians, that a lot of people will be throwing it up outside their attractive neighbors’ second-floor windows.
Report Post »rcw_68
Posted on October 15, 2011 at 8:40pmIt’s the same concept that Google earth used for their street view camera.
Report Post »Ok-Sure
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 2:17pmI had that stinking thing go down my road the other day. Ultra_Annoyance….
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on October 15, 2011 at 4:50pmCool! I can’t catch. What happens f you drop it?
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on October 15, 2011 at 4:54pmSheesh…. what happens “if”….
Report Post »Brock
Posted on October 15, 2011 at 3:26pmLove Ir! It reminds me though of a device I read about in Wil Adams’ short e-story (Amazon) called ‘Treasure of the Cloud People’ and its sequel ‘Curse of the Cloud People’. So maybe it is true that life imitates art. Remember stuff like the folding cell phone and robots all came from Sci-Fi stories.
Report Post »Cat
Posted on October 15, 2011 at 1:10pmCool …
Report Post »Can think of at least 100 ways this photographic concept could be applied … without tossing it.
supressorgrid
Posted on October 15, 2011 at 12:18pmPaint it orange and sell it to the NBA. Give the sports nuts something else to watch.
Report Post »hi
Posted on October 15, 2011 at 11:35amI love it! People are so creative.
Report Post »webpreacher
Posted on October 14, 2011 at 11:58pmWell, as a Producer & Videographer, I’m sure I will find a way to use it in my shoots. can’t wait to try it out !!
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on October 15, 2011 at 6:39pmwhat do you produce? leave a link!
Report Post »webpreacher
Posted on October 14, 2011 at 11:56pmTechnology, you got to love it !
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on October 14, 2011 at 11:52pmcute.
Report Post »When is it coming to market .
And oh how much???
Hepcat
Posted on October 14, 2011 at 11:33pmHow much does it cost?
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