Something that's maybe not clear from that page, but was mentioned in the Google IO keynote: this is not just stitching of multiple video streams. Google does some heavy-duty machine learning / computer vision on their servers to extract 3D information from these video streams (they mentioned having depth data). Then they presumably re-generate seamless stereoscopic 360-degree video from this 3D model. That's how the…
Yes. I wrote the code for the http://www.3d-4u.com 3D camera. You definitely can not use simple still image stitching algorithms. Per pixel depth estimation (via dense stereo matching) and subsequent blending must be used. I would say more, but I had to sign a long NDA before I worked on this.
Jump – Experiences like you're actually there
141–150 of 199 posts
Re: Jump – Experiences like you're actually there
#142Earlier quoted context omitted.
They don't claim this to be a consumer product. As others have said, the cost of this is peanuts compared to professional cameras. I'd bet one of the first killer-apps for VR will be sports: Imagine several of these rigs set up around (and over) a football field, so that spectators can choose to "be" at the right point on the field to observe the game, and have complete freedom to look around the field.
I think you'd be surprised how nice it is to have a team of producers and camera operators doing the work of finding the interesting views for you. People attend live sports for the atmosphere and shared experience, not the view.
Re: Jump – Experiences like you're actually there
#143Re: Jump – Experiences like you're actually there
#144Re: Jump – Experiences like you're actually there
#145The interesting aspect here is the iPhone availability for Cardboard and the use of Youtube as the platform for 3D VR. Youtube already had stereoscopic support, but there were not many clients available, content was limited and difficult to create with 3rd party solutions that all cost money. It never took off and couldn't ride the wave of the studio and CE company driven 3D momentum, which quieted down after a while…
I'm looking forward to trying out Cardboard on iOS. Anyone have a recommendation for a good viewer manufacturer? (I'm a bit surprised at how much some of the kits are, given they're made of, er, cardboard).
Re: Jump – Experiences like you're actually there
#146I think LightField camera technology is ultimatly going to win the VR camera wars, it provides much better depth information. If you havn't seen the otoy tech yet it is worth checking out... http://home.otoy.com/otoy-demonstrates-first-ever-light-fiel...
Lightfields don't lose because of how they look, it's the lack of compression and difficulty in capturing them for real scenes that have held them back.
Re: Jump – Experiences like you're actually there
#147I once played with an early Oculus, it basically amounted to something that wasn't really succeeding at tricking my senses other than giving me a headache and making me want to vomit at the same time.
I'm sure similar things were said about early cinema though.
Re: Jump – Experiences like you're actually there
#148Earlier quoted context omitted.
Price is a huge inhibitor for a mid-range Canon DSLR, so it'll probably be a huge inhibitor for this system too.
Yeah but compare it to a Red or a Hasselblad and it's utter peanuts.
Re: Jump – Experiences like you're actually there
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can get the same reaction from playing any other game with an element of surprise on just a normal display.
I differentiate between jump scares/immersion and presence. Imagine playing a hack and slash game. A user is not reacting every time their character is hit. They may have an initial reaction to a surprise attack that catches them off guard, but no more. There is some level of immersion but there is no level of presence. They never feel like they might be in danger and their body does not react as if it is in any dang…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cML814JD09g&feature=youtu.be
(The bit with the spider webs especially registered with me as something that might be a trigger for making your brain go wonky.)
Re: Jump – Experiences like you're actually there
#150Wasn't this invented by Disney in the 50s? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle-Vision_360%C2%B0
I was just thinking about how the idea has been around a long time. Even back in the early 2000s I was working on a project that used a camera on a special tripod that would let you take pictures in 360 degrees and stitch them together with some software in post (quicktime I think?). But I think the neat thing is using readily-available GoPro cameras and stitching the video together quickly. That takes a lot of proce…