The newly-unveiled Nokia Ozo is a 360-degree virtual reality camera that is designed especially for those involved in film productions. The device, which was conceived at Nokia’s research and development facilities in Finland, was shown for the first time at a recent event held in Los Angeles for entertainment, media and technology industry players.
About the Camera
Nokia Ozo is a next-generation camera designed for recording video and audio in stunning 360 degrees. Described as the most advanced and powerful virtual reality camera to be made yet, the device parades a spherical shape and weighs around 2.7 kg.
It is designed to capture stereoscopic 3D video with the aid of eight optical image sensors that are evenly spaced, about one inch apart.
There are also eight built-in microphones, each associated to a camera, to produce three-dimensional sound effect. The output of this design is audio quality that places you right in the mix.
The Nokia Ozo can be placed on a tripod and has the capability to produce audio files and videos in various standard formats. Videos recorded can be played on a virtual reality headset, such as Oculus, or uploaded as a 3D content to online platforms like YouTube.
One of the key things Nokia Ozo brings to the table is a live monitoring feature, which makes it possible to view 3D video on a headset as it’s being shot. Another is the playback solution which eliminates the need for digital assembly of content before it can be viewed thereby saving precious time – the process of pre-assembly can take hours.
The aim with the Nokia Ozo is to provide ‘an end-to-end solution’ that sets a new standard for professional video and audio productions. The camera enables those who have VR headsets to watch videos with a panoramic view of world around about as if they in the mix of the action.
Work is still ongoing on the Ozo and leading hardware and software provider Jaunt Inc has announced that it will be working with Nokia to fine-tune the device. Its Finnish maker says final testing and improvements will be made before Nokia Ozo is made available for commercial purposes in fourth quarter of 2015.
