Radiant Images introduced its new Meridian light field capture system, which aims to push the boundaries of immersive content creation and filmmaking. The Meridian represents the holy grail for VR content creation - photographic 6DoF (six degrees of freedom).
Commissioned by Sony Electronics, Radiant Images developed the Meridian light-field camera system to capture live-action 6DoF footage that enables the viewer to move through the space and look around, while still maintaining the look and feel of live-action cinematography.
Until now, the screen acted as the 'fourth wall' separating the audience from the action in front of their eyes. With the Meridian, filmmakers can remove the fourth wall and bring an audience into a VR environment without compromising image quality.
"Immersive capture technology innovation is focused on moving beyond VR and allowing audiences the ability to move within their stories," said Michael Mansouri, co-founder of Radiant Images. "This opportunity with Sony enabled us to explore new possibilities and achieve these forward-thinking solutions. With the Meridian, content creators can achieve truly impactful results."
When viewing a light-field volume from within, the viewer can enjoy a truly lifelike, immersive sensation of virtual presence with full 6DoF, enabling movements forward-back, side-to-side, up-down or twisting one's head. Though developed with the Sony RX0 in mind, The Meridian capture system is camera agnostic, meaning it can be used with a range of suitable cinematic cameras.
Radiant's Meridian consists of 24 perfectly synchronized, equidistant Sony RXO cameras mounted inside each modular panel, also known as an array. The panels of cameras capture the light from all the various angles and vantage points that pass through the area, or frame. Acting as 'windows' into the virtual world, the panels can be stacked and arranged to accommodate shots of any size, from small tabletops to large landscape environments, to create the desired immersive environment and enable the viewer to break the fourth wall.
Each Meridian panel measures 3-by-4 feet and contains 24 cameras in four rows and six columns. They can be built on top of one another depending on the shot, and arranged to capture virtual windows that content creators place inside of a VR environment. With enough panels on set, a content creator can carve out a large area for the user to move around inside.
Radiant Images is soon to become a subsidiary of Hawkeye Systems, maker of military-grade imaging systems for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. For more information, visit https://hawkeyesystemsinc.com/.
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