Throwable 36-camera ball takes perfect panorama photos

By Sebastian Anthony 

From http://www.extremetech.com/

Jonas Pfeil, a student from the Technical University of Berlin has created a rugged, grapefruit-sized ball that has 36 fixed-focus, 2-megapixel digital camera sensors built in. The user simply throws the ball into the air and photos are simultaneously taken with all 36 cameras to create a full, spherical (360-degree?) panorama of the surrounding scene.

 

The basic premise for the project is that taking panoramic images using a conventional still camera is a bore: you either need special hardware and software, like the GigaPan system, or you have to painstakingly shoot the photos and arrange them yourself when you get back home. The Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera (it doesn’t seem to have a nickname) automatically takes 36 photos when it’s at the highest point of its trajectory, and it comes with a panoramic image viewer that displays the images as a pannable, zoomable sphere that you can move around; a lot like Google Street View.

The ball itself is made with a 3D printer, and the innards (which includes 36 STM VS6724 CMOS camera sensors, an accelerometer, and two microcontrollers to control the cameras) are adequately padded, so presumably it doesn’t matter if you suck at throwing and catching. You can see from the video below that the ball is too big (but not too heavy) for single-handed use — but considering this is the work of a master’s degree student, it’s safe to assume that the same hardware could be miniaturized into something like a tennis ball. It seems like every camera has independent exposure control, too, which in this case isn’t necessarily a good thing; notice how some fragments of the panoramas are different colors.


Still, the Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera – which will be demonstrated at SIGGRAPH Asia 2011 in December — is an utterly fantastic idea and you can imagine how it could revolutionize everything from holiday snaps, to wedding photos, to playful photos of children at play. There’s also the added bonus that if you’re alone, the photo will always have your grinning, supplicating mug at the bottom — and if you’ve ever traveled alone, you’ll know how hard it can be to take a good self-portrait in a busy location. Imagine what it would be like if you combined the panoramic ball with the Israeli “grenade launcher” hostile-environment camera system, too…

There’s no word on when the ball might come to market, but the first words on the project’s website are “PATENT PENDING,” so presumably Jonas at least has the intention of licensing the design. Excitingly, the ball’s components are very cheap; it could have a retail price of under $100.


Read more at Jonas Pfeil’s website

360 Panorama does instant, awesome panoramas

by Josh Lowensohn

Shooting panoramic photos with a mobile phone can be difficult. Often it requires doing all the work in a software app when you get back from wherever you are, as well as trying to make sure that the phone's camera does not change its white balance or exposure between shots.

Occipital, the creators of the popular RedLaser scanning app (which wassold to eBay last month) have a new iPhone app debuting on Friday called 360 Panorama, which is attempting to change that. For $2.99, users can simply move their phone from left to right to capture a photo panorama. The end result is a single, panoramic photo that requires zero post-processing.

To use the app, users just hold their iPhone and move from side to side, capturing the area around them.

(Credit: Screenshots by Josh Lowensohn/CNET)

Behind the scenes the app is actually using the iPhone's video camera, which means that users will need a 3GS or the newer iPhone 4 to use it. The app also takes advantage of the iPhone 4's gyroscope hardware to help judge how quickly you're rotating, so it can figure out what needs to be captured and where you've already been. As it records imagery, it stitches together an image based on your movement, which you can see and track to make any angle corrections. Some modern day point and shoot cameras like Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-W370 are able to do the same thing, though with a larger end result.

Size and distortions are ultimately the two things that limit this app from being as useful as proper photo stitching software. The images it spits out are quite small when compared with the still shots your camera takes. You can see this in the two sample photos I've embedded below (click on each to see it in full size):

A demo shot taken in downtown San Francisco. Normally this would take several shots, but 360 Panorama is able to capture it all at once.

(Credit: Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET)

And a full 360 of an interior:

A 360 degree shot taken from inside CNET. (click to see in its original size)

(Credit: Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET)

The larger problem is the distortion, which Occipital co-founder Vikas Reddy told me is made worse in indoor situations. His team is working on ways to make it better in a future release, but in the meantime shooting outdoors provides for a much smoother and less jaggy experience. Being in the urban jungle of downtown San Francisco, I wasn't able to fully test how well it would work on something like rolling hills or a forest, but as you can see from the shots above it does a fine job until you hit perfectly straight lines where the software is forced to make a stitch by guesswork.

These issues aside, 360 Panorama is an incredibly neat, and genuinely useful app. It may have no business taking over the job of a good crisp, and low distortion still image, but if you want to quickly capture an incredible amount of detail of the world around you, it's tough to beat.

If you want to see how it works while using it, you can see it in the company's demo video below:

iPhone users can also check out OutmanTech's Video Panorama app ($1.99) and Boinx's You Gotta See This ($1.99), both of which work with the same basic principle.

Hotels With the Most Beautiful Views

Travel experts say these breathtaking spots offer unique, inspiring beauty.

By Jacqueline Detwiler
From: http://www.forbes.com/

Going on the recommendations of several frequent travelers and travel experts, we found different hotels around the world, each providing jaw-dropping views. Among them are jungle scenes, ocean vistas, and massive displays of ice, rocks and valleys--all in some of the most unique locations in the world.

Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

Courtesy of Lapa Rios

Lapa Rios
Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Set in one of the last remaining lowland tropical rain forests in Central America, this Costa Rica eco-resort has something for everyone, from beach bunnies to anyone who ever wore a "Save the Rainforest" button. Stay in bungalows three through eight for the best views; they all sit on a high hill, giving them the best angle over the rain forest and ocean. In 2003 Lapa Rios received the top level Certification for Sustainable Tourism, so guests can rest easy that they're not intruding on the pristine natural surroundings.

Wolwedans, Namibia

Courtesy of Wolwedans - NamibRand Nature Reserve

Wolwedans

NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia

This resort leaves 1,000 hectares of untouched land for every bed at the resort, so each separate camp provides sweeping views of virgin dunes, plains and the Nubib Mountains. Guests staying here can indulge in a private scenic drive or a hot air balloon ride over the reserve, then return to watch the sunset from the comfort of the Mountain View Suite, a cozy private lodge that is almost entirely open to the outdoors.

Jackson Lake Lodge, Jackson, Wyo.

Courtesy of Grand Teton Lodge Co.

Jackson Lake Lodge

Jackson, Wyo.

After a long day exploring the park, enjoy panoramic vistas of the Grand Tetons and big Wyoming sky from private terraces in each of 46 cottages, or stop in the lodge's upper lobby to check out Native American artifacts next to 100-foot picture windows. Just bear in mind, the lodge is only open from May through October.

Enchantment Resort and Mii amo Spa, Sedona, Ariz.

Courtesy of Enchantment Resort

Enchantment Resort and Mii amo Spa

Sedona, Ariz.

Surrounded by massive rocks decorated with swirls of gold and red, guests get the feeling they're wrapped in the sands of a giant hourglass. Stay in Casita No. 31 for the most unobstructed view of Boynton Canyon and the pristine Coconino National Forest.

Dreams Luxury Suites, Santorini, Greece

Christos Drazos

Dreams Luxury Suites

Santorini, Greece

Dangling 300 meters over the Aegean, the Dreams Luxury Suites resort is so small it only offers four accommodations, all with panoramic vistas over the Santorini caldera from Imerovigli, a quiet cliff-side town on the west face of the island. Featuring whitewashed walkways, private pools and colorful doors that open onto an endless expanse of bright blue ocean, the Foivos and Armonia Suites are the most lush.

Click here for more info and pics: In Pictures: Hotels With the Most Beautiful Views

8 Guidelines To Taking Panoramic Photos With Any Camera

by Peter Carey