The number of virtual reality (VR) devices on the market and seeking funding via crowdsourcing continues to grow.
LucidCam is trying to help solve one problem for the emerging VR market: a lack of content. It’s a consumer stereoscopic 3D, 180-degree virtual reality camera that is portable and allows users to capture everything around them in full, 1080p HD per-eye video and 2K per-eye photo quality, according to its Indiegogo campaign. The content captured by LucidCam can then be used for VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift. LucidCam’s slim design allows it to fit right in the user’s pocket. LucidCam ships in July and its future retail price is about $500, although early bird backers can get one at pricing as low as $349. Its makers are looking to raise $100,000 by Dec. 26.
It’s still too early to say just how successful the VR product category will actually be. But LucidCam may have a bright future as long as the content captured with it can be viewed on whatever VR headset winds up being the most popular one. The inability of LucidCam to capture 360-degree video is a minus, but the addition of that functionality is a stretch goal of its makers. It also lacks the ability to shoot 4K like the recent Sphericam 2 can.
Movement is the biggest obstacle yet to be solved for true virtual reality experiences. While there are locomotion setups on the market that attempt to address the issue, not many people have the money nor the space to install and maintain them as they’re usually larger.