For all that is written about virtual reality, most of us have never donned a funky headset to experience it. The sensation behind the VR viewer might be cool, but it remains to be seen if the hardware will find its way into every home.
The founders of a startup company called Shot might have an idea that could bring VR to the masses with an iPhone lens attachment and app that lets your record, share and watch virtual reality photos and video.
Photo: Shot
Shot just launched on Kickstarter and is only one day into a campaign to raise more than $100,000 to produce it. Earlybird backers could get the Shot lens kit for $55, but may not see the return on their investment until next April, when Shot hopes to be delivering a finished product.
Virtual reality is concept that has been around since the early 20th century, but has picked up steam in the last few years thanks to gaming, Google’s 360-degree street view and the promise of commercial headsets like Oculus Rift, which is due out early next year.
From the looks of the demonstration video, Shot appears to make an otherwise complicated technology simple to use and without a cumbersome headset.
The iPhone camera is good but far from suitable to capture what the VR field calls “immersive content.” Shot’s clip-on attachment has two lenses, one for each camera and expands the camera’s normal view from 75 degrees to 235 degrees.
Photo: Shot
To get a full 360-degrees, each camera take a picture and the app seamlessly stitches them together. You can enhance the viewing experience by slipping your phone into Google’s cardboard headset.
“Our approach goes in the opposite direction of the industry efforts,” said William Viana, one of the engineers behind Shot. “Instead of creating an expensive device composed of several cameras for professional filmmakers, we wanted to create something affordable and easy to use.”
Shot hopes the app becomes a social media platform, like Instagram, as the “go-to” place to watch user-generated VR photos and videos.
Source: Engadget
https://youtu.be/16KXEAL2Csk
