Aimfire is launching its Camarada mobile app that allows you to take stereoscopic 3D video — or virtual reality videos — using two smartphones. The solution is the poor folks’ way to do VR, and that could help the larger cause for VR, which could be a $25 billion industry by 2021 (according to tech advisor Digi-Capital). Making VR cheap and accessible means that more people will use it, Aimfire believes. The Camarada app gets around the problem that VR today has to be shot with dedicated camera arrays, or multi-camera products such as the GoPro Odyssey and Nokia Ozo. These are expensive and a pain to carry around. They’re designed for movie studios, not the ordinary consumer, Aimfire said. Now it will be a lot easier to preserve and relive your memories in virtual reality (if that’s really what we all want to do). Camarada turns nearby smartphones into dynamic camera arrays. The proprietary technology precisely synchronizes and links smartphone cameras and rectifies their output to automatically produce true VR videos without user intervention. From the simple yet innovative single-user mode to the powerful multi-phone mode, this flexible solution makes it possible for anyone to create engaging VR content. “The lack of user generated content is a big pain point for virtual reality,” said Joe Sofio, cofounder of Aimfire, in a statement. “Professional-grade VR cameras are designed for Hollywood and way out-of-reach for the mass market. Camarada allows anyone to capture and share VR video with their smartphones, for free. The stunning 3D videos it creates rival those created with specialized cameras that cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars.” While other VR camera apps capture multiple photos/frames, then stitch them together to form panoramic photos, Camarada can record 3D, high-definition (1080p) movies that give the consumer a far more immersive experience than any other app, Aimfire said. “Camarada truly democratizes VR content creation for the masses. We believe the most powerful application of VR is preserving and reliving our true memories, and sharing them with our loved ones,” said Sofio. Camarada is free and available to download on Google Play and will be available soon in the Apple App Store. Aimfire was founded in 2014 and has four employees. VIDEO
Aimfire is launching its Camarada app, allowing users to shoot VR video by using two smartphones. Making VR cheap and accessible would help the broader VR market, which could be a $25bn industry by 2021, according to Digi-Capital. Normally, VR has to be shot with dedicated camera arrays or multi-camera products designed for use by film studios rather than ordinary consumers. Camarada links and synchronises smartphone cameras to automatically produce VR videos. The app is free and available to download on Google Play, and available soon in the Apple App Store.