Photospheres are cool, but we’re left with a personal view of our surroundings in regard to orientation. What if you wanted a birds-eye view of things? Better yet, what if you wanted to be in your own photosphere? A new IndieGoGo campaign could make that a reality for you.
The Panono, a Panoramic Ball Camera, was first imagined back in 2011. That was just before the crowd funding craze, and just ahead of really good smartphone cameras. The idea is simple: toss the sphere in the air, and it snaps photos with all 36 cameras that peek out from the hard plastic shell. It takes photos in a full 360-degrees, too, so you won’t miss a thing.
The device is also paired with an app, and Panono is in the early stages of development for it. They’ve tested it on a limited number of flagship Android handsets, and promise the ability to upload to sites like Google+. They also plan to make a waterproof version in the future, which adds a whole new dimension to the project. All told, we liken this to the photosphere in the Google Maps cars and backpacks — just smaller.
Of course, the concept is great, but doesn’t come cheap. Currently, the pricing is set at $549. While we like the concept of taking some interesting photospheres, and the ability to photobomb our own pictures, we’re not $549 in love with the idea. Hopefully, the team behind the project can find a way to lower that price point. A lot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xjXqC9m2A#t
