The CES showfloor is littered with a variety of action cameras this year, but few of them offer any truly head-turning new features, save for the Geonaute. Developed in France, the Geonaute action camera records 360-degree video and still images, which users can later explore from almost every angle on a computer or mobile device.
The Geonaute is equipped with three 8 MP cameras fitted with wide-angle lenses to capture everything in a 360-degree horizontal and 150-degree vertical field of view. It records over 2 hours of video onto a 32GB microSD card and can be controlled with a wristwatch-style remote, so you don't have to fumble with the settings while it's strapped to your motorbike helmet.
The camera is lightweight at under 200 g (0.44 lbs), shockproof, and comes with a waterproof housing. It also comes packaged with several mounts and adapters that allow it to connect with many accessories for sports enthusiast currently in stores.
Geonaute also collaborated with startup Mindrevo to create the WeSphere platform, which allows users to pan around their video as it's playing. On a PC, the image can be clicked and dragged to look around – similar to Google Maps – while a mobile device uses either the touch screen or gyroscopic controls to let the user view the captured images from all directions. The WeSphere platform also incorporates a suite of editing tools to alter videos and images almost immediately after they're captured.
The idea is that filming in 360-degrees frees up the user from having to worry too much about camera angles, leaving them to focus on their skiing, biking, snowboarding, etc. The camera even works well in less extreme situations, like a dinner with a group of friends for example. Then, when viewed or shared later, anyone watching it can experience what was recorded in a much more immersive way.
Detailed specs for the Geonaute action camera:
- Video mode: 360° spherical | Res: up to 2048x1024
- Photo mode: 360° spherical (single shot, burst, time laps)Res: up to 4096x2048
- FOV: 360° Horizontal and 150° vertical
- Optics: 3 x wide angle lens
- Imaging sensor: 3 x 8MP CMOS sensors
- Weight: less than 200 g (incl. battery)
- Autonomy: 2+ hours (Li-Ion rechargeable)
- Storage: microSD up to 32GB (MP4 file format)
- Interface: micro USB
- Resistance: waterproof rated to IPX7
- Waterproof housing: 100m
WeSphere Platform Features:
- 360° video player
- 360° photo viewer
- 270° panoramic photo viewer
- Basic editing features
- 3GB of storage space included with camera purchase
- 1500 songs available for use with movie editing
- Full control of your contents
- Mobile app with gyroscopic motion
The Geonaute action camera should be available in the summer of 2013 at a price of $399 in the U.S. and €399 in Europe.
Source: Geonaute
