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San Francisco, CA – Macworld Expo – January 8, 2002: Kaidan Incorporated
and EyeSee360 Inc. today announced the 360 One™, an optical system
that captures a complete 360° panoramic image in a single camera
shot. Kaidan is the leading manufacturer and supplier of Photographic
VR solutions and EyeSee360 is a leading developer of immersive,
interactive imaging technology.
Two years of extensive research by EyeSee360 have produced innovative
optical and software technology that delivers unrivaled quality
and simplicity. Through partnership with Kaidan, this technology
has been formed into a product ideally suited to the needs of the
panoramic photographer.
The 360 One consists of a lightweight and rugged proprietary optical
system and the innovative EyeSee360 PhotoWarp™ software. The unique
EyeSee360 optic provides a complete 360° horizontal panorama with
a 100° vertical field-of-view (50° above and 50° below the horizon).
This vertical field-of-view is substantially greater than competitive
offerings and brings single-shot panoramic technology into the mainstream.
With the 360 One, single-shot panoramas can be used for interior
real estate shots and other situations where it is important to
look up and down as well as side-to-side.
When coupled with a 3 megapixel or greater camera, the 360 One
offers an exceptional and unparalleled level of quality that rivals
current solutions requiring 12 or more stitched images. Since the
360 One requires only a single shot to capture the full 360° view,
action scenes with moving objects are easily photographed. The 360
One can capture panoramic images in crowd scenes, at concerts, on
city streets, at sporting events, or even from moving vehicles.
Photographers avoid the stitching or seaming demanded by competitive
multiple-shot systems (such as the two and three-shot iPIX® system),
eliminating the problems of visible seams or exposure differences
across the panorama.
EyeSee360’s PhotoWarp™ software quickly and easily processes a
360 One photograph into a viewable panoramic image. The straightforward,
simple-to-use interface enhances workflow by automatically generating
web pages and thumbnail images along with QuickTime VR® panoramic
images, the industry-leading panoramic image format. PhotoWarp can
also produce images suitable for Java-based viewers. There are also
no per-image or “click fees” imposed on the user. PhotoWarp was
designed for the Apple® Mac OS X® platform and supports the Mac
OS 9, Microsoft Windows® 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000 and Windows
XP operating systems.
The 360 One, which requires no special technical expertise, can
be hand-held or mounted on a convenient monopod using a remote shutter
release and a bubble level. Initially the 360 One will support the
Nikon Coolpix® line of cameras including the 990, 995 and 5000.
Support for a wide range of film and other digital cameras will
be announced in the coming months.
According to Joan Rankin, Assistant Sales and Marketing Director
for Kaidan, “The 360 One is ideal for a wide array of vertical markets:
real estate, surveillance, travel, tourism and education. EyeSee360
and Kaidan have eliminated the barriers that previously limited
single-shot panoramas. With a single click and a single image you
quickly and effortlessly capture the complete panoramic view. You
could easily produce a hundred or more panoramas in an afternoon.”
Michael Rondinelli, V.P. of Technology for EyeSee360, adds, “360
One is a best-of-breed device. Now, taking 360° panoramic pictures
from inside a crowd, on a racetrack, or at the scene of news in
the making is as simple as a single click. For the first time, a
single-shot panorama requires no compromises in quality or field-of-view,
and no recurring fees. This is clearly a new standard in interactive
panoramic imaging.”
Scheduled to ship in early 2002, the 360 One is priced at $999.95.
The 360 One will be available from Kaidan and from all authorized
Kaidan resellers and distributors worldwide. Optional accessories
including monopods and hardware carrying cases will also be available
from Kaidan.
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