BubbleScope is a new type of camera addition that will allow a user to take photos or video in 360 degree views. No stitching together of images is required and it works with a variety of smartphones. There is an application ( app ) to download to make it work, but other than that, this is a “point and click” type of event. This is a new idea and one that will be giving new meaning to the term “3D”.
The BubbleScope is created by Tom Lawton and he puts forth his idea with the “see everything”, “experience everything” and “capture everything” motto. The panoramic vision of his new camera accessory is something that can be experienced on a smartphone. It snaps on the smartphone and does the work of a similar program installed in Samsung smartphones that “glues” the edges of photos together to make a larger picture. In the beginning of Tom’s idea, he used a conglomeration of cameras stacked together in a radial array.
The idea worked well, but was ungainly. The price was also prohibitively high for most people. A second attempt by Tom to use “fish eye” lenses that were mounted back to back turned up to be another dud. Someone else had patented the software needed to recreate a usable rendition of the resulting photo. The software was not available to license thanks to the patent.
Finally, in 2004, Tom hooked up with a Canadian technology company to use a toroidal style lens. This allowed him to start on a project and begin to shrink it down to a size that a smartphone could use. When the form factor came down to the right size Tom contacted a Far Eastern consumer electronics retailer. They licensed the camera for him, but later lost interest in the project. After meeting a few important contacts on the internet, now he is seeking to get it off the ground by using a “crowdsourcing” effort.
Interestingly, Tom was not the only person with this idea. Other 360 degree camera ideas for the iPhone were brought forth on the Kickstarter web site. The competing ideas are claimed to be inferior to the Bubblescope, but still take photos and video in all directions.
The accessory began to be availble for pre-order this month and an official launch is scheduled for the Fall. This model will come with the ability to share videos and photos over social media sites. Early discontinued Bubblescope models were priced at £129.99 but there is no price released for this one.
