PanaCast 2s is the first software-defined, real-time 7.4 Megapixel 180º panoramic video camera system and the PanaCast 3D VR Kit is the first system to deliver 180º 4K 3D content in real-time, with in-device stitching
Altia Systems®, recipient of the 2016 Frost & Sullivan New Product Innovation Award and CES 2016 Innovation Awards Honoree, has been recognized by the CES 2017 awards committee in the Computer Peripherals and Virtual Reality product categories with two CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree designations. The company demonstrated both products at CES Unveiled event in New York.
“We are honored to be selected as a CES Innovation Awards Honoree for two years in a row,” commented Aurangzeb Khan, President and CEO of Altia Systems. “PanaCast 2s delivers 78% higher video resolution than Panoramic-4K and the PanaCast 3D VR kit delivers 4K 3D video with real time, in-device stitching, providing industry-first capabilities which enhance video collaboration, education, telemedicine, virtual / augmented reality experiences, and enable high-performance edge analytics for Internet of Things or ‘IOT’ solutions.”
PanaCast 2s
Altia Systems’ PanaCast 2s was recognized today as a CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree. The PanaCast 2s is the first software-defined, real-time 7.4 Megapixel 180º panoramic video camera system that produces better than Panoramic 4K video. The company’s PanaCast 3D Virtual Reality Kit was also recognized today as a CES Awards Honoree. (Photo: Business Wire)
PanaCast 2s comprises of a PanaCast 2 device and the PanaCast Computer Vision Engine (PCVE) software. It delivers 7.4 Megapixel panoramic video in a 180° wide by 54° tall field of view, with 5120 x 1440 pixels per frame, at 30 frames per second, with less than one frame latency.
Ram Natarajan, CTO of Altia Systems said, “The core IP we’ve invented and developed allows us to synchronize, stitch and optimize video from multiple cameras to create a natural-looking panorama. PCVE is an industry first, scalable architecture implementation with an optimized OpenCL pipeline which runs on standard OpenCL-capable processors. The PanaCast 2s camera system delivers 78% higher resolution than Panoramic-4K, and the three camera system also enhances the likelihood of looking at an object orthogonally, when compared with conventional cameras. Together, these capabilities help improve the range and accuracy of object recognition and tracking. The low latency flow-through software architecture can be extended to create 8K and beyond immersive video. PanaCast 2s provides new capabilities to the business, industrial and consumer markets. For example, it delivers ~5x lossless digital zoom in video conferencing, and, when viewed on head-mounted displays, it provides better resolution for each eye.”
PanaCast 3D VR Kit
The PanaCast 3D Virtual Reality Kit from Altia Systems today was recognized as a CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree. PanaCast 3D VR Kit is the first system to deliver 180º 4K 3D content in real-time, with in-device stitching. The company’s PanaCast 2s video camera system was also recognized today as a CES Innovation Awards Honoree. (Photo: Business Wire)
The PanaCast 3D VR Kit consists of two PanaCast 2 cameras mounted at the inter-pupillary separation of 70 mm, operated concurrently in a biomimetic / stereo system with software which stacks the in-device stitched left eye/right eye real-time video streams in a 4K frame (3840 x 2160 pixels per frame). The PanaCast 3D VR Kit enables natural depth perception with a responsive system which mimics the human field of view.
The PanaCast 3D VR kit brings immersive 3D experiences within reach of content creators interested in creating virtual reality (VR)/augmented reality (AR)/mixed reality experiences through real-time interaction, i.e., rapid prototyping and experimentation to get the best possible effect. The ability to preview videos in real time with a ‘what you see is what you get’ view allows consumers and professionals alike to record and share content with point-and-shoot simplicity. The fully stitched 3D content can be recorded and uploaded immediately without spending time and money on post-production techniques and proprietary stitching software. Sharing is made simple as the kit produces videos with live preview support and can be used by any broadcast app – such as Wirecast, Facebook Live or YouTube 360.
The fully stitched 3D video is available for instant viewing on smart phones with the Google Cardboard head-mounted display (HMD) or other low-cost HMDs, as well as high-end HMDs. On an HMD, the experience resembles what one would see on an immersive, cinematic screen, in 3D.
“By providing fully stitched 3D content, in real time, with 4K resolution, in a small and light package, the PanaCast 3D VR Kit extends the reach of 3D content to industrial and commercial applications such as structural inspections using drones, news reports, education, virtual home and store tours, tourism, entertainment, etc.,” said Naveed Alam, VP of Software Engineering at Altia Systems.
Availability and Pricing
The PanaCast 2s camera system consists of the PanaCast 2 device with the PanaCast Computer Vision Engine (PCVE) software package. It is priced at $995 for the PanaCast 2 camera with a subscription of $295/year for the software package running on a user supplied Mac, PC or Intel NUC. It will be available in Q1 2017. The PanaCast 3D VR Kit is priced at $2795 and is available now for early adopters, with general availability in Q1 2017.
