Article from http://mashable.com/2011/10/25/throwable-ball-camera/
Are you, like so many others, tired of all those old-fashioned cameras you have to hold in order to take pictures? Well here’s a camera you get to throw.
The Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera is a foam-padded ball studded with 36 fixed-focus, 2-megapixel mobile phone camera modules capable of taking a 360-degree panoramic photo.
You use the camera by throwing it directly in the air. When the camera reaches the apex — measured by an accelerometer in the camera — all 36 cameras automatically take a picture. These distinct pictures are then digitally stitched together and uploaded via USB where they are presented in a spherical panoramic viewer. This lets users interactively explore their photos including a zoom function.
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The results — as seen in the video above — are pretty darn impressive, but the Ball Camera is definitely not meant for shaky hands. Any spin on the ball when it’s thrown could distort the final image and you certainly wouldn’t want to drop the thing despite its 3D-printed foam padding. The 2-megapixel cameras are adequate but the quality drops as soon as users try to zoom in on distant elements. Besides, it looks a little difficult to fit the thing into a purse, let alone your pocket.
Right now, the Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera is not available to buy, though its creators have it pending a patent. Cool idea, but is it practical? Would you ever buy a camera you could throw? Let us know in the comments.
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