Nokia Launches Ozo, The Virtual Reality Camera Designed For Hollywood

Nokia has returned to the technology market with the launch of its first-ever virtual reality (VR) device.

Unveiled at an event in Los Angeles last night, the Ozo is able to capture 360-degree video and audio from eight separate global shutter sensors and eight microphones to produce what Nokia says is professional-quality output.

The company is hoping that the ball-shaped Ozo will become the device of choice for production studios looking to shoot VR output for head-mounted displays such as the Oculus Rift.

Captured

Built by Nokia Technologies, the company’s notorious forward-thinking department, the Ozo is currently undergoing at Nokia’s Finnish HQ before an anticipated launch later this year.

The Ozo is able to play 3D output in real-time thanks to a new playback solution that removes the need to pre-assemble a panoramic image ­­- a process that can take hours for currently available solutions.

It clips on to most standard tripods and is able to record and play back its video capture in a number of standard formats, meaning you’ll be able to upload content straight to services such as YouTube.

“We’re thrilled to introduce OZO to the content creation world, and to define a completely new category of virtual reality capture and playback solutions,” said Ramzi Haidamus, president of Nokia Technologies.

“OZO aims to advance the next wave of innovation in VR by putting powerful tools in the hands of professionals who will create amazing experiences for people around the world. We expect that virtual reality experiences will soon radically enhance the way people communicate and connect to stories, entertainment, world events and each other. With OZO, we plan to be at the heart of this new world.”

The move would see Nokia follow in the steps of many of its former competitors in the mobile device market, who have jumped on board with the growing popularity of VR technology.

This includes HTC, Samsung, Google, and even Microsoft, whose HoloLens device is one of the company’s most hotly-anticipated new releases for years.

Oculus also announced earlier this month that the consumer-facing version of its Rift headset will go on sale early next year, featuring native support for Windows 10 and Xbox gaming.

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