Maybe you think if GoPro will launch its own VR (virtual
reality) headset. In the future this may happen, but for now GoPro wants to
provide VR content for the owners of headset devices such as Google Cardboard,
Samsung Gear VR, as well as Oculus Rift after they are marketed to the public
later.
This most popular action cam manufacturer will acquire
French startup, Kolor. Kolor is a developer team that creates software to
combine a number of photos and videos into a 360-degree visual content that's
ideal for VR technology.
Previously GoPro itself has been marketing a special
accessory that can accommodate a number of GoPro cameras at once. When combined
with the sophistication of Kolor software, then the resulting video will be
very different from the other extreme action videos.
To demonstrate the result, GoPro has released a short video
entitled "Land, Air and Sea" in 4K resolution. You don't need a VR
headset to be able to enjoy it, just download the Kolor Eyes 360º Video Player
application on Android or iOS, and then watch how immersive the content that
can be produced by the integration of GoPro and Kolor software.
In the desktop device, you can enjoy it by using the Google
Chrome browser. As the video goes, you can move the video display by using the
mouse as you usually do when accessing Google Street View. However, the video
will look very amazing if you watch it through VR devices like Google Cardboard.
GoPro also asserted that in the future this kind of video will also be
available for other platforms such as Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR.
"We are excited to welcome Kolor to GoPro," said
Nicholas Woodman, GoPro's founder and CEO. "GoPro's capture devices and
Kolor's software will combine to deliver exciting and highly accessible
solutions for capturing, creating and sharing spherical content."
“Kolor’s mission is to enable the ultimate visual experience
- to transport an audience to another time and space. Joining GoPro makes this
possible,” said Alexandre Jenny, CEO of Kolor. “When the best spherical media
software is combined with the world’s most versatile capture devices, our
imagination becomes our only limitation. We’re excited to see what the world
captures and shares with GoPro and Kolor.”
Now imagine if there was a skydiver recorded his action in
360 degrees, and then you watched the action using Google Cardboard. You would
be able to feel the excitement of jumping from a plane that's flying at an
altitude of thousands of meters.
The videos that are taken from the first viewpoint can be
made much more immersive with the blend of GoPro and Kolor technologies. And last but not least, the owners of VRheadsets won't run out of contents to entertain themselves.