Wearables and VR have been two of the biggest buzzwords in the consumer technology sector over the past few years, so it was only a matter of time until they were combined. 2018 should see the release of the first wearable 360 cameras that can record your every movement in the VR friendly format. Is this an opportunity to record our lives like never before, or is it verging into “Black Mirror” territory? Let’s take a look at the wearable 360 cameras that we already know are being released.
Wearable 360 Cameras
FITT 360
The FITT 360 is a curious looking device, reminiscent of a certain visor worn on Star Trek. However the FITT360 isn’t worn across your eyes, but over your neck like a neckband. At first I struggled to see how this could produce a 360 image, but if you look closely you can see how it achieves this.
Key Features:
- 3 Individual Cameras
- 4K Video Reoslution
- Livestream
- GPS Enabled
- Hands Free
- Water Resistant
- Microphone
- 3 Sizes
The FITT360 is part fitness tracker part 360 camera (hence the name). The marketing suggests that the common user of the FITT360 is active and would use the camera to record their runs, hikes or bike rides. The camera fits around the neck and can record 360 video hands free, however there will be a blind spot where your head is.
The device will shoot video at 4K resolution, which is about what you’d expect of a modern 360 camera, however this will look about the same as a flat 720p video. The video examples produced so far indicate that the quality is roughly the same as most consumer 360 cameras out right now, however the market is developing quickly and 4K may be considered obsolete by next year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Eq7FGbElM&t=6s
This is one of only a few 360 videos shot with the FITT 360 publicly available. It’s shot with a pre-production model so we can expect some improvements when the final product is ready. The video quality is decent when viewed at the highest setting, however you’ll quickly notice the blind spots above and below, which should really be more neatly disguised. The camera also seems to lack any stabilization, which is absolutely essential for any moving 360 video.
The camera also features GPS to track your movements, which is then relayed to the app and visualized over a map. TheFITT also features bluetooth and a microphone, meaning you can use it as a hands-free headset for calls.
As one of the more innovative designs for a 360 camera, I’m curious to see how the FITT360 turns out. The camera is available to pre-order from Kickstarter with an expected shipping date of October this year.
ORBI Prime
Want to capture what your eyes see, and then some? The OBRI Prime is the first ever 360 video recording eye-ware and will allow you to capture hands-free 360 video while also acting as genuine anti UV glasses.
Key Features
- 4 Individual Cameras
- Captures 360 Video at 4K Resolution
- Lightweight Polycarbonate Frame
- Water Resistant
- Built In Stabilization
- Polarised Lenses
The Orbi can shoot 4K 360 video using 4 lenses, however due to the position of the cameras there will be a small blind spot where your body is. The ORBI is water resistant and is able to record for 60 minutes. Again, this device seems to be targeted at action cam users who like to film their sporting activities.
One of the key considerations is going to be what they actually look like when you wear them. Many glasses with cameras have been released but most look terrible due to thickness, which immediately puts people off. The jury is out whether the ORBI Prime will fall victim to the same design flaws, however the glasses do look fairly normal and it’s not immediately obvious that there is quite a lot of tech inside them.
See Also: Ultimate 360 Camera Comparison Table
This is the latest video uploaded by the Orbi Prime YouTube channel. It shows footage recorded by the ORBI but in a “reframed” format, this means they’ve taken the 360 video and edited it to create a normal flat video with smooth panning motions. The quality looks pretty good and the stabilization software seems to do a pretty good job. The blind spot means that you can’t really see what’s happening behind the camera which is a shame.
This is a full 360 video that you can move around yourself. The quality is about what you would expect of one of the cheaper 360 cameras in 2018. Keep in mind that the ORBI Prime is not particularly cheap, but what you are paying for is a hands-free experience that mimics a human eye perspective. The Stabilization isn’t as good here, but it might be an older version of the camera. In this video the blind spot is less intrusive and it’s great to be able to see what the recorder was seeing from his perspective.
The ORBI Prime is a Indigogo product which is set to be shipped to backers in August 2018, delayed from an original shipping-date of August 2017.
