GoPro is looking to expand its business beyond its diminutive video cameras with big plans that’ll take it into the space of virtual reality (VR) and flying machines. Speaking at Re/code‘s Code conference in California on Wednesday, GoPro boss Nick Woodman revealed the company is excited to be moving into new areas.
First up is a contraption that Woodman called a “six-camera spherical array” (pictured). Put simply, this is a rig which can be fitted with six Hero4 cameras, allowing you to easily capture immersive 360-degree photos and video – ideal for VR content creators.
Videos made with the rig can be viewed on VR headsets and YouTube 360 (check out the video below), as well as with the Kolor mobile app, which GoPro happened to acquire just last month.
Showing off a prototype of the kit at Code, Woodman said his company felt compelled to take its own technology into the VR space after seeing how big names like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft are taking an increasing interest in the platform.
Woodman acknowledged that although the rig might not have wide appeal, he hopes it’ll prove popular with professionals and prosumers looking to create original VR content.
Plans for GoPro Drone move forward
The GoPro drone, on the other hand, is bound to attract plenty of attention among consumers. First reported in November last year, Woodman confirmed that his company is indeed developing its very own quadcopter incorporating, of course, a GoPro camera.
The remotely controlled quadcopter should hit the market in the first half of next year, though the CEO wouldn’t reveal any information on its design or how much it might cost.
Referring to GoPro’s popularity with current drone owners in need of a decent camera to stick on their flying machine, Woodman described the quadcopter as “something that’s in our DNA, and we’re excited about it across the company.”
If GoPro gets the price right and enters a fully featured machine into what is a rapidly expanding market, the company is certain to have a success on its hands that could help take it to even greater heights. We can’t wait to see what it comes up with.
