The news of the new video format, VR180, from Google, are still fresh, and YI announced development of a VR180 camera. LucidCam beats them to the market, with a camera with 180° wide-angle lenses.

Preview sales for the new camera from Lucid VR start today, with the camera being discounted 15 percent off the retail price and delivered as early as August 9, just two weeks after the campaign closes, July 26. The new camera, which promises to give users, 3D, 180° footage in 4K, so you can share the world EXACTLY as you see it, was funded through an Indiegogo campaign, back in December 2015.

Delivery of the camera was delayed over the initial date, which was June 2016, but there is, apparently, one good side to it: the camera was initially Full HD and is now 4K, meaning those always claiming for higher resolution get it in a compact camera that is presented as the world’s first consumer 3D VR camera and costs $499.

https://youtu.be/SBQ9Awx8Seg

So, out of the blue and in the space of one week, we’ve two systems offering 3D 180°, a firm suggestion that the industry has, again, another format to explore. The article published here at ProVideo Coalition just recently, explains how and why Google decided to cut the 360VR in half, and points to some companies that will provide the tools to make VR180 a reality. One of those companies is YI Technology, which at VidCon 2017, the annual conference for online video fans, creators, and industry leaders, announced it is working to deliver a new stereo, 3D camera, designed from the ground up for VR180, which will be as easy to use and as compact as a 2D camera.

Although technical details, pricing, exact availability dates, quantities and the product name remain undisclosed, Yi has created a page on their website dedicated to the product. There, the company writes: “Take it anywhere and capture the world as you see it with this 3D Stereoscopic camera, then re-immerse yourself into those incredible adventures on one of the best virtual reality platforms available today, Google Daydream.”

https://youtu.be/o-XT_oGnd3s

The promise is similar to the one from LucidCam, which was created to allow users “to capture and share experiences the same way they see them”. Lucid CEO Han Jin’s vision–to create a technology that brings the world closer together through a true 3D VR camera, the LucidCam–started with a crowdfunding campaign two years ago and has now come to reality.

“It’s been an incredible journey to bring this product to life and to the masses, as initially all I wanted was to build one for myself which would capture and share my life with my grandmother in China,” said Jin. “LucidCam creates images and videos which let you for the first time see the world through someone else’s eyes as if you were really there. I want everyone to have such incredible superpowers.”

https://youtu.be/rQ36yPhqqSo

LucidCam makes virtual reality content creation and livestreaming in 3D at very high resolutions easy, with a simple plug-n-play process flow. Consumers can create their own 3D VR without a computer or any additional processing requirements, making LucidCam an all-mobile experience for capturing, viewing, sharing and delivering immersive content either through Facebook/YouTube or Lucid’s iOS and Android app to anyone around the globe. With two lenses like your eyes and two microphones like your ears, LucidCam recreates a first-person experience, allowing people to feel like they are seeing the world through someone else’s eyes.

Exceeding the original specifications of the LucidCam crowdfunding campaign, the engineers at Lucid VR enhanced it and developed a robust 4K 3D VR camera with on-the-go VR content processing of pictures and videos, plus livestreaming capabilities. With the addition of Lucid’s viewing clip or phone case, you can create and view your own 3D VR anywhere with a click of a button. One interesting aspect of the system is that combining three LucidCams it is possible to create 360VR, in case you want to.