Dual-lens 360-degree cameras are growing in popularity, but unless you have an eye on the back of your head, they don’t quite imitate human sight. TwoEyes VR is a camera that aims to change that, with a pair of two slightly offset lenses to more closely imitate the way we see in real life.
The Kickstarter says the camera is the first binocular 4K camera that shoots both 360 and 3D, as well as 3D in 360. Since both pairs of lenses are offset from each other, they capture a slightly different perspective, just like a left eye gets a different view than the right. This offset creates a parallax effect that allows the camera to record in 3D. With two sets of those lenses, TwoEyes is able to shoot 3D images from a 360 perspective.
Used with a pair of virtual reality goggles or the included cardboard headset, the left and right eyes will receive the footage from the corresponding cameras. The content can also be viewed on a 3D TV or using 3D glasses.
The camera can also shoot the more traditional 360 videos — held vertically, the camera will only use one front and one back lens, which should create content similar to other dual-lens 360 cameras. The developers say a built-in gyroscope automatically switches the camera from four lenses to two.
TwoEyes can be controlled through a two-button interface or using the camera’s built-in Wi-fi, Bluetooth, and an app.
Hardware-wise, the camera is expected to use four 1/2.3-inch sensors and f/2 fisheye lenses. Stills will measure 8,000 pixels while 4K video (3,840 x 3,840) is recorded at 30 fps. The camera uses a 4K processor with 1 GB of RAM and has 128 GB of internal storage. Finished off with a lithium-ion battery, the entire camera weighs about seven ounces and sits at a little under four inches wide.
TwoEyes is currently a prototype — but the Kickstarter project reached full funding on Wednesday after launching on Monday. Early backers willing to take a risk on a prototype to get the four-eyed camera into production can pledge $219 or more to be one of the first users. Provided the funded project doesn’t hit too many bumps along the way, TwoEyes hopes to enter production in July with shipping in August.
