VR Camera

Virtual reality has already established itself in the market for computer games and continues to expand in other areas: architecture, art, medicine. It is no wonder that the virtual reality is also used in the film industry.

One of the advantages of virtual reality – you can watch films in it. However, virtual reality in the cinema industry also has another important advantage – it can accelerate the film’s creative process. These days some studios already use VR to prepare a filming plan and a storyboard. It uses an expensive motion tracking technology with the help of which the position a real device replaces the virtual camera. These images from the camera are displayed on the operator’s tablet, so the problems can be foreseen before the filming actually starts. The aim of the “VR Camera” is to create a software that is adaptable in exactly this way, using cheaper and more affordable motion tracking technology.

The creation of a virtual camera required precise positioning, motion tracking, and a mobile display. For motion tracking, the “HTC Vive” virtual reality device and its “Lighthouse” technology are used. The smartphone portrays the image of the virtual camera. The software was created using the “Unreal Engine 4” gaming engine. It connects the tracking information of the “Lighthouse” system with a smartphone via the Internet connection, and the virtual camera image is constantly synchronized with the position of the tracked “HTC Vive” controller. With the “VR Camera”, you can now “film” a small video in which a rabbit borrows carrots from the garden for personal consumption.