Panono hits Indiegogo goal – let’s you create Google Street View-like 108MP spherical panoramic images
Okay, so creating 360-degree “spherical” panoramic images isn’t the most original idea on the planet. Even though we’ve seen an attempt with Android’s Photo Sphere, it’s something that’s nearly impossible to pull off flawlessly.
Guess that’s why Panono — an Indiegogo project that kicked off back in October — was successfully able to hit their funding goal and then some. Simply put, Panono is a plastic ball with a 36 tiny cameras housed inside. When tossed in the air, Panono will fire off all its cameras simultaneously, for near-flawless 360-degree x 360-degree panoramic stills — the likes you’re only used to seeing on Google Street View.
The resulting images are a whopping 108MP when stitched together, a process that’s done in the cloud after Panono uploads the images through your smartphone via the Android/iOS app. Panono can actually be used in a few ways — by either chucking it in the air, mounting it on a pole/monopod, or by simply holding it with your hand.
Inside, there’s onboard memory capable of holding 400 108MP shots, and an accelerometer for figuring out the optimal time to take a shot when tossed (at the ball’s apex). The ball only weighs about 300g, and charges via USB. The Panono app is already available on Google Play if you’d simply like to view the quality of Panono’s stitched images. We’ll even embed one of our favorites below.
Before you rush off to the Indiegogo page to buy your own, keep in mind tech like this doesn’t come cheap. Even at the early backer pricing, which gets you $100-off, Panono will still run you around $500. Not exactly pocket change.
If that hasn’t scared you away yet, you still have 32 hours left to snag a Panono for yourself, with shipping beginning in September. Me? Well, I suppose I’ll continue using Photo Sphere like an animal.
[Panono on Indiegogo | Download on Google Play: Panono]