A company started by Carnegie Mellon University graduates is introducing a camera lens that will let users capture the world around them and revisit each scene from a new point of view.
By June, EyeSee360 employees plan to make their newest product, the GoPano micro, a 360-degree panoramic lens for the iPhone4, available to consumers on their website, and hopefully in stores.
"I imagine this can be used by anyone," said Michael Rondinelli, 32, of Canonsburg. Rondinelli, a 2001 CMU graduate, is chief technology officer of Green Tree-based EyeSee 360, an independent software and hardware developer. "You can record family vacations, birthday parties, sporting events."
A panoramic video taken by an early user shows a birthday party shot from the middle of a kitchen table. Children and parents are seated all around, singing "Happy Birthday." On an iPad, a swipe of the finger allows the viewer to see each person around the table, rather than just those seated directly in front of the camera.
Rob Enderle, technology analyst with the San Jose, Calif.-based Enderle Group, which has no affiliation with the product, said panoramic video can act "like a time machine."
"If you're filming and a crime takes place, there's a good chance you didn't see it or you would have called 911. The panoramic lens picks it up and lets you view what you didn't know was happening at the time," he said. "It could have interesting uses going forward, depending on how many people use it."
The small cone-shaped lens snaps onto the top of an iPhone4. An app comes with the lens, which clips on to a special two-part case that wraps around the phone. Users can hold the phone or put it down and let the lens capture everything going on around it.
When the video is played back, the viewer can navigate the scene to see it from different perspectives.
EyeSee360 does not have a formal agreement with Apple, but Rondinelli said he hopes the company will offer the device in its stores. Apple did not return a request for comment.
Traditionally, Enderle said, panoramic technology has been something people find "neat to do, but not something they must do."
"It's fun to have, but the real question will be if people continue to use it, and will it catch on," he said.
The future of panoramic video could involve interactive television, Rondinelli said.
"With an XBox or other gaming system, you're able to log in and play it on TV any way you'd watch video today," he said. "It doesn't require a new investment."
Amey Kanade, 29, a 2009 CMU graduate and EyeSee360 product manager, said response within the industry has been positive. Supporters of the project on the fundraising website KickStarter will be the first to be able to buy the product, which will sell for about $80.
