Many new reality capture solutions for AEC are making clever use of 360° photographs. With at least one new 3D-capture web platform looking to support 360° videogrammetry in the near future, it’s likely that 360° cameras will become an even more popular means of capture on the work site. Strap a little sensor to your helmet, take a walk, and you’ve already got the hard part over with.
If that sounds appealing to you, I have great news: Ricoh’s Theta V camera offers 4K 360° video for high-quality capture, and it costs $429.
The Theta V boasts two 12 MP sensors, and Ricoh says it offers better white balance, improved exposure, and a higher ISO range–all of which should make the data easier for automatic post-processing algorithms to handle. The camera uses a high-speed transfer method that Ricoh puts at 2.5 times the speed of previous cameras, making it fast enough for real-time sharing of the video (and, I assume, tethering?). It can be controlled by smartphone using either wifi or a low-power bluetooth connection protocol that’s always on. The built-in 19GB of memory can store up to 4,800 stills and 40 minutes of 4K video.
Ricoh will also be developing new functions for the camera using software plugins—whether that means new AEC or reality-capture functionality remains to be seen, but given Ricoh’s attention to the AEC industry it’s not out of the question.
For more information, see Digital Photography Review’s hands-on slideshow.
