Sure, folks who are into the whole live Internet video chat thing have noticed one dire shortcoming of the medium: it’s very flat. In the same way photographs taken through a typical lens system lack depth and walking around town with one eye closed can be a challenge, typical Webcam images aren’t very impressive because they have a single vantage point. Now some British designers are looking to change that with the Minoru 3D Webcam, which features two cameras spaced roughly like human eyes to create a stereoscopic field effect. Of course, there is a downside: you’ll have to wear special 3D glasses to experience the effect.
The Minoru camera features a “anthropomorphic” look that the designers hope will encourage users to look into the camera rather than at their own screen or keyboard, and the company promises the camera will be compatible with popular services like Skype, Windows Live Messenger, AIM, ooVoo, and others. The camera will also be able to take 2D and 3D still images, and can be used as a “normal” 2D Webcam for folks who don’t have (or won’t admit to having) 3D glasses.
No pricing for the Minoru 3D Webcam has been announced, but reports have it hitting the market by December with a price under $100.
