Leica’s handheld scanner captures a 360° walkthrough of your environment, until you get tired of holding it

There are times when 2D visuals are not enough to encapsulate the look and feel of an environment. For instance, a realtor might want to create a virtual walkthrough of a house. That’s where 3D imaging scanners come in: to capture a 360-degree view of an environment for architecture, engineering, and construction professionals; media and entertainment pros responsible for scouting locations and creating immersive virtual reality experiences; and professionals who work in the preservation of historic architecture and archaeology. Most reality capture scanners need to be stationary in order to work, which is why the BLK2GO—a purely handheld scanner—has piqued the interest of avid users.

Mobility is a huge pro for the BLK2GO because it allows the user to capture every hidden corner in the room. Every turn you take, every flight of steps you climb, will be captured (although the quality will be much lower compared to a stationary scanner). A terrestrial scanner, in contrast, will capture higher-quality images but will be bound in one place. From a technological perspective, the BLK2GO is very user-friendly; it tracks your path as you walk through an environment, shows a real-time rendering of the data being captured, and even knows when you are retracing your steps through an area that has already been scanned. Basically, all you have to do is keep walking—the device will take care of the rest.

However, from a design perspective, the BLK2GO poses a few problems. First on the list: its weight. The BLK2GO weighs 1.7 pounds, which is about as heavy as a milk carton. Now, Leica estimates that a rough scan of an environment should take about 10-20 seconds, so you won’t be carrying the device for long. The weight presents a larger issue when you remember that you will likely be operating the BLK2GO with one hand because the perks of the scanner’s navigation and real-time image processing are only accessible from the BLK2GO Live app. In fact, the bulkiness of the handle makes it difficult for the user to use the app’s pinch-to-zoom function on its 3D map.

The shape of the scanner is new. Most handheld scanners use a typical, straight-up-and-down design, while the BLK2GO reminds me of the alien pod from the movie ArrivalIf Leica chose the design because of the visual impact, it worked. The device looks like it was beamed from 50 years into the future. Given the increased usage of gimbals and other handheld stabilizers, the design does seem usable. The BLK2GO is an incredible piece of tech, there’s no denying it but its main draw–its mobility as a handheld device–we hope it is more comfortable than it looks.

Designer: Dr. Burkhard Boeckem of Hexagon and Matthias Weiser of Leica Geosystems

This luxurious bed spins 360°- from Netflix to breakfast to the french alps with one touch!

When you think of the most extravagant beds, what comes to your mind? Bed with an in-built screen that pops up? A bed floating mid-air? A water bed that rocks like a cruise boat? Imagination runs wild and then it comes to this – the Three Sixty bed by Savoir that truly puts the extra in extravagant. As the name suggests, it rotates 360 degrees and is currently the most expensive bed on the market with a price tag of…I suggest you take a seat right now…$300,000.

This bed was born out of a First World problem – the client who contacted Savoir had bought a château in the south of France and couldn’t decide if they wanted their bed to be facing the fireplace or the windows looking at the garden and the idea of a luxury rotating bed was actually given form. Meanwhile, while I am buying a bed, I am just making sure it comes with an instruction card that is written in English and fits through my New York apartment door.

Now, even if I make it spin once a day, each rotation is roughly going to cost me $3000 for the year. The Three Sixty is meant to shock and dazzle from every angle, literally. You can change your view with a simple touch on their app. It also has reading lights, USB slots, and power outlets weaved into its sides along with glowing LED lights at the bottom to give it a levitating illusion. The expensive tag comes at the cost of 300 hours of skilled labor and the state-of-the-art turntable from Bumat, a company that usually makes them for the Geneva Motor Show. To make it even more exotic, the cotton velvet used in the headboard was sourced from Dedar and the topper was made from rare natural fibers of a Mongolian yak (I recommend you look Mongolian yak up to understand how snuggly this bed might feel).

There is no doubt that I haven’t seen a bed this obnoxiously rich but if I were to get a chance, I would absolutely take it and make sure it faces the gardens of my French château!

Designer: Savoir

This luxurious bed spins 360°- from Netflix to breakfast to the french alps with one touch!

When you think of the most extravagant beds, what comes to your mind? Bed with an in-built screen that pops up? A bed floating mid-air? A water bed that rocks like a cruise boat? Imagination runs wild and then it comes to this – the Three Sixty bed by Savoir that truly puts the extra in extravagant. As the name suggests, it rotates 360 degrees and is currently the most expensive bed on the market with a price tag of…I suggest you take a seat right now…$300,000.

This bed was born out of a First World problem – the client who contacted Savoir had bought a château in the south of France and couldn’t decide if they wanted their bed to be facing the fireplace or the windows looking at the garden and the idea of a luxury rotating bed was actually given form. Meanwhile, while I am buying a bed, I am just making sure it comes with an instruction card that is written in English and fits through my New York apartment door.

Now, even if I make it spin once a day, each rotation is roughly going to cost me $3000 for the year. The Three Sixty is meant to shock and dazzle from every angle, literally. You can change your view with a simple touch on their app. It also has reading lights, USB slots, and power outlets weaved into its sides along with glowing LED lights at the bottom to give it a levitating illusion. The expensive tag comes at the cost of 300 hours of skilled labor and the state-of-the-art turntable from Bumat, a company that usually makes them for the Geneva Motor Show. To make it even more exotic, the cotton velvet used in the headboard was sourced from Dedar and the topper was made from rare natural fibers of a Mongolian yak (I recommend you look Mongolian yak up to understand how snuggly this bed might feel).

There is no doubt that I haven’t seen a bed this obnoxiously rich but if I were to get a chance, I would absolutely take it and make sure it faces the gardens of my French château!

Designer: Savoir

This luxurious bed spins 360°- from Netflix to breakfast to the french alps with one touch!

When you think of the most extravagant beds, what comes to your mind? Bed with an in-built screen that pops up? A bed floating mid-air? A water bed that rocks like a cruise boat? Imagination runs wild and then it comes to this – the Three Sixty bed by Savoir that truly puts the extra in extravagant. As the name suggests, it rotates 360 degrees and is currently the most expensive bed on the market with a price tag of…I suggest you take a seat right now…$300,000.

This bed was born out of a First World problem – the client who contacted Savoir had bought a château in the south of France and couldn’t decide if they wanted their bed to be facing the fireplace or the windows looking at the garden and the idea of a luxury rotating bed was actually given form. Meanwhile, while I am buying a bed, I am just making sure it comes with an instruction card that is written in English and fits through my New York apartment door.

Now, even if I make it spin once a day, each rotation is roughly going to cost me $3000 for the year. The Three Sixty is meant to shock and dazzle from every angle, literally. You can change your view with a simple touch on their app. It also has reading lights, USB slots, and power outlets weaved into its sides along with glowing LED lights at the bottom to give it a levitating illusion. The expensive tag comes at the cost of 300 hours of skilled labor and the state-of-the-art turntable from Bumat, a company that usually makes them for the Geneva Motor Show. To make it even more exotic, the cotton velvet used in the headboard was sourced from Dedar and the topper was made from rare natural fibers of a Mongolian yak (I recommend you look Mongolian yak up to understand how snuggly this bed might feel).

There is no doubt that I haven’t seen a bed this obnoxiously rich but if I were to get a chance, I would absolutely take it and make sure it faces the gardens of my French château!

Designer: Savoir

Let’s forget about folding displays for a bit and admire Insta360’s folding camera!

The idea behind the Evo’s design is a simple, but unique one. 3D cameras and 360° cameras have one thing in common… the presence of at least two lenses. Where those lenses face in relation with each other, and the type of lens determines the kind of media you capture. Lenses that sit side by side (with a rough distance of 2.5 inches between them) can capture two different channels corresponding to the left and right eye, creating a sense of depth, and therefore a 3-dimensional video or image. Lenses (usually at least 180° fisheye) that face in opposite directions can capture an entire scene in 360 degrees, allowing you to create videos or images you can look around in and immerse yourself into. The Insta360 Evo simply creates a mechanism in which these two lenses can fold to either face in the same direction or the opposite, allowing the camera to alternate between shooting in 3D and in 360°.

The Evo can record 3D 5K/30fps video (or 18-megapixel stills) with a 180-degree field of view, viewable using a VR headset that comes in the box, or an innovative HoloFrame case that sits on your phone, turning your phone’s screen into a 3D display. Fold the cameras to face opposite each other and the camera captures 360° videos and stills that you can view in your VR headset, even looking around to see things behind, beside, above or below you.

What’s even more remarkable about the Evo is its ability to not just record, but also stabilize video. Using its 6-axis gyroscopic stabilization system, Evo’s videos are immersive, crisp, and jitter free. The FlowState stabilization system even allows the Evo to capture time-lapses that are incredibly smooth. Whether you’re walking on the footpath or on a bumpy trail, the Evo can capture videos without needing an external gimbal or stabilizer (the gimbal would end up getting captured in 360° videos too). A simple flip/fold mechanism allows you to transition between shooting in 3D and shooting in VR, allowing you to create fully immersive video content, and the Evo even packs kits, headsets, and cases that let you and your audience properly view the content you’ve created!

Designer: Insta360

Click Here to Buy Now

Click Here to Buy Now

Image Credits: TuttoAndroid

Make your smartphone livestream in 360!

Mark my words when I say that there will be a day when an Apple exec walks up on stage and says that the iPhone can shoot in seamless 360°. The future has two wide angle lenses on the front and back of phones and honestly I can’t wait for that future!

However, if you want to skip the line, the Giroptic iO HD simply sits on your phone and uses two rather massive fisheye lenses to capture your world in 360°, both in image as well as video, with seamless stitching. Not only can the iO capture images and videos in HD… it can live-stream in HD too! Designed to be a simple plug-play device, the iO can be used right out of the box along with the Android or iOS app, depending on the variant you own. Besides, the carrying case for the iO even doubles up as a rather wonderful phone stand so you can capture media in 360°, hands-free!

Designer: Giroptic

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Deal: V.360° HD Panoramic Camera

Want to shoot 360º video? This panoramic camera shoots content at up to 6480 x 1080 resolution, capturing video which completely wraps around you. The V.360º HD panoramic camera uses a special reflector to work its magic.

v360_panoramic_camera_1zoom in

Its videos capture a 60º vertical field of view, and you can also shoot 8 megapixel panoramic stills instantly, and without the need to spin around. It’s also got stereo microphones built in, and is ready to go anywhere, since its dust, shock and water resistant. In fact, you can use it underwater up to 3 feet for 30 minutes at a time.

Everything can be controlled via the V.360’s companion smartphone app, which lets you preview content, and make adjustments to what you’re shooting on the fly. In addition to shooting 360º videos, you can use the camera and app to direct regular “flat” videos where you pan the viewport to match what’s going on in the scene, and there’s also a time-lapse mode.

The V.360º camera has a suggested retail price of $449(USD), but we’ve got it in the Technabob Shop for a limited time for just $299.

The Boss of the Arena

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I’m always a fan of good audio. Let me into a room with a Playboy mag and a good speaker, I’ll most definitely go see the speaker first (and maybe then move on to the other stuff!) Designed not as a robust/tech-y gadget, but with more of a soft and beckoning cushion-esque vibe, the Arina bluetooth speaker is truly a class apart.

Under the hood, the Arina is a serious performer. Designed with 6 internal speakers this soft-on-the-outside bad boy delivers high-fidelity, well-balanced 360 degree audio. It can be kept on a horizontal surface or even be mounted on a wall. The speakers put the cherry on the cake by including the ability to charge your phone with it. An in-built power bank ensures that your speakers remain wireless for long, and that your phone never runs out of juice. What’s more, you have the freedom to choose and change the color of the outer fabric cover to match your interiors or mood. I’m sorted for Christmas, but I’m considering getting me a New Year’s gift!

Designer: Muemma (Adin Mumma)

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Friday Giveaway: 360° Industrial Design by Arman Emami – 5 Books to be WON

We began Monday morning with a few lessons on Industrial Design and how to survive the whole competition scene and emerge as a winner. We wrap up the week with an incredible interview with the man himself – Arman Emami; and a chance to WIN the book ‘360° Industrial Design.’ Five lucky winners will win the book! Hit the jump for details.

Contest Closes: May 10, 2015 – midnight PST

Contest Question:

  • Why do honeybees do not build quadratic honeycombs?

Leave your answer in the comments below.

HINT:

  • Because bees like hexagon more than square.
  • Because bees see the world ultraviolet, they are not able to recognize square shapes.
  • Because bees would need ca. 10 % more wax for quadratic shaped honeycombs.
  • Because the bee queen commanded it.

WIN:

YD – How will you introduce yourself to a new person?

Arman - A lateral thinker and curious designer with a continually eventful and turned life from Berlin.

YD - Who is a better person … Arman the design studio head or Arman the student?

Arman – Both are good. ;-)
Actually there are no large differences. For sure I became calmer in the course of the years, but I belong to people who are still a little childish even when they are pensioners. The children are more authentic and dare to experiment. I try to maintain it.

YD - What excites you the most … a new innovation or retro-redesigns?

Arman – Retro-redesigns is no option for me. We all are not born to repeat the past, but rather to create something new. Of course we have to consider and respect the history of design, but we should look to the future and not to the foretime.
In my opinion, retro-redesign is reactionary and demonstrates a lack of imagination and creativity.

YD - What has been your biggest challenge so far?

Arman – The biggest challenge is not to design or come up with ideas. It is always a big challenge to convince and encourage and conservative decision-makers to invest in innovative concepts.

YD - Tell me more about your book … what inspired you to write it?

Arman – Industrial design is a multi disciplinary matter. You have to think and work like an engineer, an inventor, an artist, a marketing expert and at the least you have to be the aesthete. There are a lot of books about industrial design. There are enough texts out there using unnecessary jargon, philosophical theories or otherwise setting aims that are not concrete. I have been missing a clear and well-laid out description of all relevant aspects from different fields to create an overall picture. I have summarized my experiences in practical and daily work as an industrial designer

YD - What has been your biggest learning experience so far?

Arman – Learning from nature is the best. And it is not limited to bionics and solutions found in nature. We can also learn about colors, form, haptics and much more from nature. But the biggest learning experience is life itself. You can do everything right, but If you don’t have enough life experiences, your designs get lacks of charisma and soul.

YD - What is your daily routine like? A day in the life of Arman Emami?

Arman – I have to confess that I’m not an early bird. Therefore the day begins a bit later with a coffee latte. The rest is different, appointments, meetings, designing, preparation of presentations… everyday occurrence. But the nights are mostly long. So to say, I am a night owl and I get my new ideas mostly in the night.

YD - How do you expect to make a change in the world of design?

Arman – Every designer changes the world of design to a greater or lesser extent. We live in a rapidly changing world that is becoming more complex with every passing second. Natural resources are getting scarcer and the increasingly intense competition on the world market is forcing designers at large to rethink the design process. Decoration for decoration‘s sake has become a thing of the past. Fanciful objects like the pretty paper-weight have had their day. Prettiness is no longer enough! Designers working on sustainable products now have to consider the bigger picture and in short: have to optimize design as a multi-disciplinary work. We are here to make our contribution for a better life and a more beautiful world.

YD - What will your advice be to young designers who wish to participate in the Red Dot?

Arman – Thinking out of the box is a must. First of all, it is important to free ourselves from outdated and narrow thinking. Development needs change; it is the basis for all progress. But likewise it is necessary to recognize that not every cliché is necessarily a bad thing. Design is an evolution, so today’s achievements are the result of a long-term process. Of course you can develop a wheel further, but to be honest, no one needs an angular shaped wheel. Do not try to be different at all costs! A change should always be for the better. And don’t ignore the problems in everyday life. Every problem is an approach for a new solution and a new design concept. And of course you can find more tips in my book 360° Industrial Design.

YD - What is the most challenging part of participating in the Red Dot Awards?

Arman – In a competition is any part the most challenging part of participating. You need a good idea, an aesthetic implementation and a clear presentation.

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(Friday Giveaway: 360° Industrial Design by Arman Emami – 5 Books to be WON was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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  3. Is all industrial design software the same?







Ricoh Theta M15 Takes 360 Degree Photos

Rico Theta M15 CameraRicoh’s Theta M15 is a small, pocket size camera able to take seemeless 360 degree photos in a single snap. These photos don’t just take a wide image, but include an entire 360 degree sphere, top to bottom as well. The resulting images can be viewed like other images, and Ricoh smartly provides some associated software with the camera allowing users to edit the images on a PC, Mac, Android or iOS device.

This is the second generation of the Theta that Ricoh has released with the most significant upgrade in this model being the ability to take short videos with a 360 degree view along with still images. The videos can be up to 3 minutes each, and the videos can also be edited with the included software by modifying the image itself with your finger on touch screens or your mouse.

Ricoh has also announced that they are providing an SDK for the camera so that developers can create custom applications integrating the Theta M15. The Ricoh Theta M15 is available on Amazon for $299.

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