It’s no secret that the consumer camera market is shrinking – and fast. But it isn’t all just smartphones and high-end cameras for the future, not if Canon has anything to say about it with their social VR platform, Kokomo.
You read that right; Canon is launching a “social” (not really clear on what this entails other than being inherently collaborative) VR platform that will utilize its ecosystem of products, chief among them its new RF5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye lens, PetaPixel reports.
How will it use products like the Dual Fisheye lens?
“Kokomo will allow users to see and hear one another in real-time with their live appearance and expression, in a photo-real environment, while experiencing a premium virtual reality setting in captivating locations like Malibu, New York, or Hawaii.”
That sounds an awful lot like the current VR technology we’ve got on hand. What is going to distinguish Kokomo from the competition, however, is its more true-to-life realism.
Towards this end “[the company is] tapping into Canon’s innovative spirit and heritage of high-quality imaging to enable people to have real, authentic interactions when they get together in VR. Every ImmersiveCall should be a memorable experience.”
Other than the RF5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye lens we don’t know what other products will be compatible with the Kokomo though PetaPixel also speculates that the EOS R5 will be among the compatible devices.
You can watch a video presentation about the whole thing here on YouTube.
We’d love to know what you think of Canon’s “social” VR platform in the comments below.
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