The mixed reality (MR) smartphone camera, 2Sens, is being developed by a tech team based in Israel and can be seen at CES 2018 next week. The 2Sens team sought to bring AR and VR technology together in order to create MR film and features to mobile phones across the world.
What 2Sens Can Do
Augmented reality can be seen in digital overlays like the popular dog ears and flower crown and emoji stickers on our chat filters, or in fun text messages you send off to friends. Even AR fitness games like ARX, Ingress, and Zombies, Run! exist for consumer use. Virtual reality is becoming more popular than ever with over a million VR headsets sold and is already being used as a fitness outlet for couch potatoes and commercial gyms worldwide.
The 2Sens attachment is an MR smartphone ready camera that doesn’t make users buy any extra add-ons, computers, dongles, or other design programs to stitch together, edit, and post videos online. Everything is shot in one place and easily plugs into the smartphone. 2Sens’ dual cameras allow for filming in 3D or 2D video at the same time, has a paired app that will give you directions on how to get a smooth shot, can be live streamed straight from your phone and onto social media and can be viewed with VR-enabled devices and headsets.
Bye, Flat AR
Older AR apps and games used to put a flat 2D image on top of a live image or video. The ultra-famous AR game, Pokemon Go, had Charmanders jumping out to challenge you on your smartphone screen, while comically appearing to stand on or over, let’s say your dog’s back during a walk. Social media shareable, yes, funny, definitely, but not visually realistic if that’s what you’re going for.
The 2Sens camera does things differently from older generation cameras. The 2Sens app and camera allows you to shoot 3D and 2D video and will make AR overlays like birds flying behind your head instead of in front of your face, or other images appear to move around you in a space instead of being fixed at only one location on the screen. Based on the 2Sens YouTube channel, active movement doesn’t appear to affect where the three-dimensional graphics and characters go.
The technology that 2Sens uses appears to understand spatial location or “room reading”, translating a cartoon goblin with size, shape, and depth onto a nearby tree, bench, weight machine, or VR booth. So, if you film a mixed reality exercise segment and want to put a unicorn (I don’t know if they have this magical animal) or other 3D images and overlays on a clients shoulder or peeking out behind them after a successful workout and post it on social media, you can likely do that.
VR Fitness and Sports
Are you an athlete, sports fan, fitness instructor, or want to film exercise videos or develop software using VR and AR together in mixed reality? Contact 2Sens to get more info about their SDK, app, and camera.
The possibilities for creating fitness apps and games that motivate people already using mobile phones is huge here. Instructors with a flair for film might want to consider filming their workout segments by the beach or in a fun place for more exposure. Or, grab a workout buddy and make a fitness group and then film the 3D and VR-capable videos and upload them online to help other people improve their lives, learn about a new exercise and be social while doing it.
Athletes and sports fans can record plays, games and practices in 3D and then edit videos from their phone, and can potentially put team mascots, colors, and graphics all over the images to boost fan involvement. Not everyone can make it to a special game in another location, so they watch them from home. Film and post later or live stream what it was like to be sitting in the arena, on the sidelines, or from the skybox while watching a game or match.
See 2Sens At CES
2Sens isn’t released to the public just yet, but they do urge those who are interested to contact them via a contact form at the bottom of their webpage. They can be found at CES 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 9-12, 2018 at Eureka Park, booth #51702.