I think we can all agree that it’s easy enough to throw a camera in the air to record photos and video. Developing a camera that can be thrown in the air to capture non-blurry images and usable video is entirely different, though, and something that took Boston-based inventor Steve Hollinger years to create.
First-generation prototype of the Squito throwable ball camera.
The photo above is what Hollinger is referring to as the “Squito.” Approximately the size of a tennis ball, this first-generation prototype ball camera features three cameras, inertial measurement unit, microcontroller, and image processor, as well as a bevy of position and orientation sensors.
When thrown in the air, all of the ball’s components work in harmony to provide the user with viewable / usable images and stabilized / panoramic video of the ball’s trajectory.
The Squito takes multiple captured images and stitches them together.
Hollinger was recently granted a second patent on the technology. “Throwable camera innovations are accelerating with advancements in sensor and imaging microelectronics,” he explained. “And with the advent of low-cost, high-speed cameras for outdoor recreation, an affordable throwable camera is finally within reach.”
There are plenty of uses for the Squito, including recreation, sport, architecture, search-and-rescue, mapping, and more. More than one Squito can be used at a time, for the purpose of capturing an even larger field of view.
To see the Squito in action, check out the video below:
Story via: serveball.com
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