We’re all too familiar with GoPro. You know, the company who makes wearable POV video cameras. They’re starting their next journey, but this time, to a different level: Virtual Reality and drones. While VR doesn’t sound that different from what the cameras do now, it’s a different take on how it all comes together to make VR. Let’s start with that first to get a better understanding of how it’ll work. The drones can wait a bit.
GoPro’s CEO Nick Woodman was with Kara Swisher from Re/code at the Code Conference on Wednesday and introduced something new for future plans.
The first product that shown was the Six-Camera Spherical Array. It’s a ball like (more cubed) mount that will hold six Hero4 cameras in different directions. The image and videos are captured at high resolution for virtual reality. Next, the pictures or videos are put together by Kolor, who GoPro bought back in April, to create one 6K spherical image.
Woodman did state GoPro has been experimenting with VR for a while, but seeing as other companies that are investing in VR, there could be validation that VR is here to stay. Woodman does go on to say that the Six-Camera Spherical Array won’t have mass adaption at first, but may attract professionals and prosumers who already have multiple GoPros and work with video editing. With consumers possibly wanting it, the VR will need to be affordable and simpler.
There was no price point provided, but will be available for purchase second half of the year. It’s also worth mentioning that GoPro was brought up during the Google I/O keynote speech today. It seems that GoPro will also be partnering with Google on their new Jump VR platform, a 16 camera mount that will offer seamless VR video, with a little help from Google.
A quadcopter was also mentioned, but no details about pricing and design were shared as it was declined by Woodman. There is a release date for it though. First half of 2016, which will be aimed at consumers.
GoPros are commonly used on drones, so it’s only natural that GoPro as a company designs their own drone. They (GoPro) are working on their own hardware, but will be working with other drone manufactures to provide camera and software solutions.
What do you think about GoPro creating its own VR and drone? Leave a comment on here, Google +, Facebook, or Twitter.
[button link=”http://recode.net/2015/05/27/gopros-next-adventure-virtual-reality-drones/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: Recode[/button]Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
