Photography

iris360 wants to put you on Google Street View

iris360 wants to put you on Google Street View
The iris360 can reportedly be operated by anyone, using a smartphone or tablet
The iris360 can reportedly be operated by anyone, using a smartphone or tablet
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A panoramic image taken with the iris360
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A panoramic image taken with the iris360
The iris360 can reportedly be operated by anyone, using a smartphone or tablet
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The iris360 can reportedly be operated by anyone, using a smartphone or tablet
Images are captured at a maximum 8K resolution by the iris360's four sensors and lenses, and are automatically stitched together by an integrated processor
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Images are captured at a maximum 8K resolution by the iris360's four sensors and lenses, and are automatically stitched together by an integrated processor
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An increasing number of businesses are promoting themselves through Google Street View, allowing potential customers to virtually look around inside their shops. Getting the 360-degree photos of that business can be a tricky and complex process, however. That's why NCTech is launching the iris360 Immersive Reality Imaging System, which is designed to let novices get their own photos and upload them to Google Street View.

According to the company (which previously brought us the iStar), there's no special setup or training required in order to use the camera. Users just put it in the middle of the room, remotely activate it using an app on their mobile device, and then wait a couple of minutes for the iris360 to get all its shots.

Images are captured at a maximum 8K resolution by the camera's four sensors and lenses, and are automatically stitched together by an integrated processor. According to the company, the iris360 is the only 360-degree camera to feature range analysis, which optimizes stitching quality by calculating how far away every object in the scene is from the camera. It's also reportedly the only 360-degree model to offer parallax correction, which also helps minimize stitching errors.

Additionally, the camera shoots in high dynamic range (HDR). This means that it simultaneously exposes for both light and dark objects within the same shot, so bright objects aren't washed out while dark objects also don't just become featureless blobs.

Images are captured at a maximum 8K resolution by the iris360's four sensors and lenses, and are automatically stitched together by an integrated processor
Images are captured at a maximum 8K resolution by the iris360's four sensors and lenses, and are automatically stitched together by an integrated processor

It's powered by a rechargeable 7.5-volt 6,500-mAh lithium-ion battery, which should be good for up to six hours of use (or over 400 shots) depending on the settings selected.

Images are recorded on an onboard SD card, and can also be accessed via USB, HDMI or Wi-Fi. Using the app, users can upload the completed images to the cloud, where they can subsequently be accessed by Street View users.

NCTech is now taking preorders for the iris360, which is priced at US$1,999. It is expected to ship starting in August.

Source: NCTech

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1 comment
1 comment
NikosPachtas
Nice idea for a "press here dummy" solution for 360 panoramas. However, even the example that they have in their website has very noticeable stitching errors. Look at the couch next to the entrance of the bar, or 90 degrees on the right. And the overall quality can not be compared to what you can get with a DSLR.