Last week Nokia teased that they had an event planned for the 28th of July and according to later speculation, it was suggested that maybe this event might have something to do with virtual reality. As it turns out the speculation was right, but if you were thinking it was a virtual reality headset, think again.
Nokia has officially announced the Nokia OZO which is a virtual reality camera designed for professional videographers who are interested in capturing content for virtual reality. As you can see in the images and video, the OZO has been designed to resemble a soccer ball and is spherical in nature which will house a bevy of cameras and microphones, thus allowing video and audio to be captured from virtually every angle.
Nokia’s description reads, “OZO captures stereoscopic 3D video through eight (8) synchronized global shutter sensors and spatial audio through eight (8) integrated microphones. Software built for OZO enables real-time 3D viewing, with an innovative playback solution that removes the need to pre-assemble a panoramic image - a time-consuming process with solutions currently in the marketplace.”
It’s a unique-looking device and it is certainly an interesting direction that Nokia is headed towards, especially after selling off their mobile division to Microsoft, and with their HERE mapping technology reportedly in the midst of being sold off as well. Pricing has yet to be revealed but we have a feeling it won’t come cheap. Shipments of the Nokia OZO is also expected to begin in Q4 2015.
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