LucidVR‘s mission is to let you see the world through other people’s eyes. It’s a lofty goal, and the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company is getting the ball rolling with preorders for its LucidCam virtual reality camera, starting today.
LucidCam has two lenses that capture 3D space in true stereoscopic fashion. It has a 180-degree viewing angle, which means it can take images that appear to be in 3D based on your own field of vision. The LucidCam can basically see what you see. (A later version will capture 360-degree images, stitched together from three LucidCams).
There are plenty of other 360-degree cameras out there, but the images that they create can seem flat. You can look around in any direction, but you don’t get a sense of depth when you look in every direction. That’s not the case with the LucidCam, said LucidVR CEO Han Jin, in an interview with VentureBeat.
You can take VR still photos or videos on the LucidCam. Then you can transfer them — using the LucidCam’s own Wi-Fi network — to your smartphone. You can then view the images on your smartphone using the company’s viewer. You can also share these images and videos with friends, who can view them with VR headsets. And you can upload them to YouTube, using the LucidCam’s VR180 format.
Basically, the LucidCam is a simple-to-use, pocket-sized 3D 180-degree VR camera. It makes content creation and livestreaming in 3D 180-degree VR at very high resolutions easy with a simple plug-and-play process flow that is compatible with Apple devices.
LucidVR started with a successful crowdfunding campaign two years ago, and now it is shipping the LucidCam to its supporters.
“It’s been an incredible journey to bring this product to life while the industry was chasing 360-degree VR. 180-degree VR is much more appealing for the masses, as its simplicity and user experience allows more users to easily capture VR content,” Jin said. “With Google’s announcement of support for VR180, one of the major players in VR is realizing the benefits of 180-degree VR video for consumers.”
LucidVR is taking orders at a discount of 15 percent off the $500 retail price, and it will start shipping the cameras on August 9.
