Your GoPro may be all very well and good, but can it shoot in two directions at once? The Soocoo S50+ can, allowing it to serve as a cycling actioncam, rearview camera, and accident-recording dashcam.
Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the S50+ is a capsule-shaped device with a forward-facing camera at one end and a rear-facing camera at the other.
Each camera is equipped with its own 170-degree wide-angle lens and GC2083 CMOS image sensor. The S50+'s aluminum alloy body droops a bit at the ends, presumably to ensure that the cameras capture more of the road and less of the sky.
Utilizing an iOS/Android app on their Wi-Fi-linked smartphone, users can choose between shooting with both cameras at once – at a resolution of 1080p/30fps – or shooting with just the front or just the rear camera, at 4K/25fps. Both cameras are HDR (high dynamic range)-capable.
Video is recorded in MP4 format on a user-supplied microSD card of up to 256GB in capacity. If the user's phone is mounted on their handlebars, they can use it to view a live feed from the cameras, and to start and stop recording.
As is the case with any other actioncam, the S50+ can be utilized simply to record cool first-person video (and audio) of users' rides. That said, its rear camera can also serve as a digital rearview "mirror" when used with a bar-mounted phone.
Additionally, the S50+ can be set to continuously record and overwrite a one- or three-minute loop of front and rear video. If the device's integrated accelerometer detects that a collision with another vehicle has occurred, the S50+ will automatically save the current loop for possible use in legal proceedings.
The whole thing reportedly tips the scales at 145 g (5 oz) and is IP66 water-resistant, meaning it can withstand strong jets of water from any direction. One charge of its 2,400-mAh lithium-ion battery is claimed to be good for up to four hours of runtime.
Assuming the Soocoo S50+ reaches production, a pledge of US$119 will get you one – the planned retail price is $238. A handlebar-mountable wireless remote is available as a $10 extra.
And should you be interested in simply wearing a cycling helmet with built-in front and rear cameras, check out the Edge and the Cerebellum One.
Source: Kickstarter
