A Throwable Ball Captures Panoramic Images

Here we mention the next generation image capturing device, that is A Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera which was developed by A German engineering grad Jonas Pfeil, and his Computer Graphics Group at Technische University in Berlin. The prototype is designed to be tossed in the air and automatically take panoramic pictures
Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera
Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
Panoramic image taken from the Ball Camera
Panoramic photography creates fascinating images. Very wide angle images are closer to the human field of view than conventional pictures. If seen through a panoramic viewer they let us experience a location as if we were there. Panoramic image stitching can create panoramas from pictures taken one after another. Unfortunately, acquiring the images takes a lot of time and moving objects may cause ghosting. It is also difficult to obtain a full spherical panorama, because the downward picture cannot be captured while the camera is mounted on the tripod.
So in this case a throwable panoramic camera can solves these problems. 
That is the camera is thrown into the air and captures an image at the highest point of flight - when it is hardly moving. The camera takes full spherical panoramas, requires no preparation and images are taken instantaneously. 
It can capture scenes with many moving objects without producing ghosting artifacts and creates unique images.
Internal of Ball Camera
The camera uses 36 fixed-focus 2 megapixel mobile phone camera modules. The ball has a diameter of 19.3cm. and a weight of 752gm. The camera modules are mounted in a robust, 3D-printed, ball-shaped enclosure that is padded with foam and handles just like a ball. The camera contains an accelerometer which can use to measure launch acceleration. Integration lets us predict rise time to the highest point, where it trigger the exposure. After catching the ball camera, pictures are downloaded in seconds using USB and automatically shown in the spherical panoramic viewer. This lets users interactively explore a full representation of the captured environment.
See the Vedio for more information
The throwable camera helps to capture full spherical panoramas at scenic spots, in a crowded city square and in the middle of a group of people taking turns in throwing the camera. Above all it is a very enjoyable, playful way to take pictures.

Softwares Used for this project:
C, C++, Qt, OpenCV
 
People Behind Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera
Jonas Pfeil 
Kristian Hildebrand 
Carsten Gremzow 
Bernd Bickel 
Marc Alexa
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