Canon Announces Development of the Free Viewpoint Video System Virtual Camera System

[Canon Rumors Guy]

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<strong>MELVILLE, N.Y., September 21, 2017</strong> – Canon Inc. announced today the development of the Free Viewpoint Video System, a new visual solution that incorporates the optical and sensor technologies cultivated by the Company over many years. Using this technology, Canon aims to provide a high-value-added imaging solution for a wide range of applications including sporting events.</p>
<p>Various types of video production are employed at sporting events to convey a passion for sports and the thrill of competition. With the development of its Free Viewpoint Video System—which creates a realistic, immersive experience that gives the user a sense that they are really there—Canon has achieved a video experience that can be viewed from various angles and viewpoints, expanding the boundaries of visual expression and contributing to the development of video culture.</p>
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<p>The system comprises several high-resolution cameras set up around the stadium, which are connected to a network and controlled via software to simultaneously capture the game from multiple viewpoints. Afterward, image processing technology renders the videos as high-resolution 3-D spatial data where users can freely move a virtual camera around the 3-D space, resulting in video that can be viewed from various different angles and viewpoints.</p>
<p>The Free Viewpoint Video System offers a completely new, totally immersive visual experience that enables viewers to operate a virtual camera in 3-D space to move freely around the stadium and even experience the simulated physical sensation of being among players on the field during a game. Along with providing a new way to enjoy sporting events, Canon plans to explore such potential applications for this system as training teams and athletes.</p>
<p><strong>Sample video</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>J League Match: November 3, 2016</li>
<li>Kawasaki Frontale vs. Gamba Osaka at Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, Kanagawa Prefecture</li>
<li>Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/lqYNgzEqDsM">https://youtu.be/lqYNgzEqDsM</a></li>
</ul>
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[Mt Spokane Photography]

A interactive system like this would be more useful than 4K or 8K video for the average TV user, but I assume that to be practical, it would need to be streaming video hosted on some very fast computers.

We knows, maybe we will all be able to use it in a couple of years or a little longer. ESPN or someone like that would be the obvious place in the US.

 

[unfocused]

This is not a consumer product. It requires multiple cameras to simultaneously capture the action from multiple viewpoints, then renders the video into a seamless experience that allows viewers to move the camera around the field, similar to the way Google Maps and virtual tours work.

Judging from the press release, this is not a "streaming" solution either, as the rendering currently has to be done in post production. I imagine that someday, this will be done in real time, but I can't imagine both the manpower and the computing power that would be needed to do that.

The number of cameras necessary is mind-boggling. Using the video example, I would imagine they would need several cameras mounted to each goal simply to be sure and capture the ball going into the net from any angle.

 

[mistaspeedy]

[TROLL]

Does it shoot 4K ?

[/TROLL]

 

[Talys]

[TROLL]

Does it shoot 4K ?

[/TROLL]

Yes, but it in 4K mode, it drops DR by 4 EV. ;D

 

[photonius]

Maybe just replace everything with CGI then.
Players sit in front of computers and control their Avatar, people can watch from anywhere.

 

[hne]

A interactive system like this would be more useful than 4K or 8K video for the average TV user, but I assume that to be practical, it would need to be streaming video hosted on some very fast computers.

We knows, maybe we will all be able to use it in a couple of years or a little longer. ESPN or someone like that would be the obvious place in the US.

Similar tech has already been available commercially for a few years. For use by sports analysts both in the teams and on television:
https://vimeo.com/58623456

 

[Phil995511]

It looks like a video game. They want to compete with the PS4 ;D ?