Short Introduction
The OmniCam is a scalable, mirror-based multi-camera system that enables the recording of video material in a 360-degree panorama format. The OmniCam was developed in 2007 at the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institute by Christian Weissig and his team, marking a milestone in camera technology.
Description
The latest version of the OmniCam, the OmniCam360, consists of ten 360-degree mirror segments, each equipped with an HD camera. The cameras of the OmniCam360 are arranged vertically and circularly, complementing the cylindrically arranged mirror segments. The arrangement of the cameras around a virtual center allows for parallax-free stitching, applicable for scenes ranging from one meter to infinity.
With a resolution of up to 10,000 x 2,000 pixels, the OmniCam360 delivers video recordings that are optimal for immersive applications. Since 2014, the generated material can also be processed in real time and transmitted to devices like tablets or VR glasses, enabled by the real-time stitching developed specifically for this purpose by the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institute.
An expansion of the camera system allows for 3D recordings with the OmniCam360. For 3D recordings, more cameras are installed and used in the camera system than for 2D recordings.
The fourth generation of the OmniCam360 is now available and competitive. With dimensions of 438x60x428mm and a weight of 9 kilograms, the Fraunhofer HHI responds to the demand for more compact 360-degree cameras.
Use-Case
The OmniCam360 has been tested and used at various events, including concerts such as Herbert Grönemeyer at the Waldbühne Berlin in 2015 and the Berlin Philharmonic concert in November 2014, marking the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was also utilized during the final of the 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro.
The camera allows the viewer to become the director, enabling them to set an individual camera angle from which to observe the event by swiping, rotating, and tilting.
The OmniCam360 recordings can be viewed at the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institute in the TiME Lab, where various events are showcased on a 180-degree screen as described above.
