In the world of VR, 360-degree videos are becoming more and more popular. They allow for a sense of presence that is unlike anything else in video or film today. However, a new form of media has been gaining popularity in recent years, volumetric video. What exactly does this term mean? How do these videos compare to standard 360-degree footage? In this article, we will explore the differences between traditional hemispherical cameras and volumetric video sets so you can get a better understanding before you dive into your next project!
As we mentioned in our blog post about 360° and VR video, the market for immersive content has exploded over the past couple of years. Consumers everywhere enjoy digital content that allows them to feel like they’re there, whether it’s a live event or an experience from another part of the world.
The latest trend is a volumetric video and you can try it out right here on Wistia! This type of storytelling immerses viewers even further by creating virtual copies of people and objects. But what exactly does this mean? What is volumetric video, how does it work, and what effects can be produced? Let’s find out!
Nowadays we could say that Virtual reality has almost reached as a sophisticated technology because of VR experience. Currently, people using VR and AR applications have increasingly engaging and exciting technology which will change our lives by redefining the way they interact with the people in the digital medium.
To strengthen these technologies, we should capture more real-world content suitable for VR and AR which helps to erase the lines between the virtual and real world.
People are expecting more advanced technologies to offer real-time experience other than VR and AR for storytelling, Live streaming, and sports events.
Volumetric video technology offers content and tools to create next-generation AR and VR experience, and it will shadow the way to communicate and express ourselves.
What is Volumetric video?
Volumetric video is a type of 3D-rendering technique, which takes advantage of modern GPU power to render videos with high realism while lowering the processing demands.
Volumetric rendering allows 3D objects in an image to be observed from any perspective and appears lifelike due to its expensive use of higher frame rates, up to 90 frames per second.
A modern cinema usually maxes out at 24 fps. According to Juniper Research’s projections, we are witnessing the early steps towards volumetric video becoming mainstream in television by 2021, which predicts that 28 billion gigabytes will have been streamed annually over wired or wireless spectrums by 2020.
The volumetric video defines a 3D or spherical video as for any instance where there is a distinct and discernible observed intensity throughout the entire screen.
Volumetric videos give viewers the sensation of space and dimension, unlike conventional 2D screens, which we depend on for visual connectivity to objects in the scene.
This makes volumetric video prime for visualizing constructions sites, site tours by architects, surgical procedures, and lectures by professors, to name just a few applications. The volumetric video gives you an interactive experience that is more than just watching. You can walk into it and feel like you’re viewing what’s happening within it!
Volumetric video is an immersive 3D video format. It delivers 360 total degrees of horizontal view with vertical or near-vertical perspective for videos or still images in a stereoscopic presentation without the need for headgear.
Volumetric video differs from stereoscopic in that it delivers 360/180-degree dimensions, rather than just 180/360 degrees, which traditional 3D can provide. The perspective will be either front-to-back or top to bottom depending on the camera’s focal length relative to the viewer’s 6 feet off-ground line-height.
Volumetric video technology captures the real person images with an array of cameras and generates naturally moving 3D models enables from Arbitrary viewpoint in Virtual reality.
The volumetric video market is driven mainly because of massive usages of Volumetric video content in VR And AR content creation for filmmaking and video games. The acceptance of Volumetric video being increased due to the selling of Volumetric hardware by different vendors.
Volumetric video technology offers people to capture the photos in real time using multiple cameras simultaneously and that it can turn to realistic 3D models which behave naturally. Volumetric video technology requires multiple cameras skillful 360 degrees in depth capturing and processing unit to stitch all images together.
How to Capture and its Importance
As we know that 360-degree video can capture with a single VR camera placed on center allows to captures the panoramic video. When it comes to Volumetric video, it requires an array of cameras to offer a more immersive experience.
The 360-degree video was impressive at the beginning, but the content creators realized that it has some limitation. To resolve this problem and take 360-degree video to the next level Volumetric Video technology arrived.
The volumetric video contains spatial data, and it enables the viewers to walk and interact with the people, object around us in a CG environment. The volumetric video offers more immersive footage in 3D. It captures people real-time movements into 3D and users can view from any angle in positional tracking.
The Volumetric Video production is similar to the Mixed reality video capturing. Mixed Reality video production requires a green screen stage equipment with multiple cameras. These array of cameras handling videogrammetry or photogrammetry which can convert live footage into three-dimensional objects.
These multiple cameras capture 3D model of a person and color for textures. The algorithm generates the 3D models, textures, and animations. Once the presenter’s body is fully digitalized, individual viewing perspectives recorded it will display the aviators. It will help to more personal interaction and enhance viewing capacity.
The 3D information captured from a different viewpoint of a person is fused and transformed to a natural, consistent and 3d representations.
The Hardware unit only required for the Volumetric Video capturing is depth sensing 360-degree video cameras and a processing unit to process images to 3D models.
Use of Volumetric Video Technology in Various Fields
Volumetric video captures the entire 3D space that a person occupies. Volumetric video technology has expanded and has begun to be used in recent years in various fields such as remote healthcare support for patients, improving virtual reality experiences, and reducing training time, among other benefits.
Volumetric video technology will replace the standard video streaming and recording, and it would be more impact on the enterprise market.
The volumetric video has demand in Filmmaking and video gaming industry.
Medical applications are expected to multiply with Volumetric Video Content.
Live streaming sports event and to develop the entertainment applications Volumetric video content plays a dominating role in the future.
Many experts believe that volumetric content will bring revolutionary changes in the fields of sports, entertainment and medical industry of more personal user interaction.
In Future the entertainment industry plays a significant role in volumetric video technology. The volumetric video with AR / VR devices offers to view images in a 360-degree environment.
Below is an example of what volumetric video may look like:
Since we cannot take a 3D snapshot from a single 2D angle as we would with “normal” photos or videos, volumetric video allows professionals better assess everything that is going on around the patient – including those hard-to-see body functions – from all angles at once without having to worry about obstruction from other people.
The use of Volumetric video technology in the different industries would be invaluable. They range from using it for entertainment projects to architecture, aerospace, and training simulations.
It has even been used to capture older people’s memories of their life for digital projection back onto them as holograms- a very unique use case. And finally, it could be used to create 3D content for headsets like Google Cardboard or Samsung Gear.
Volumetric video technology has been used to go back to see records of historical events, like the Emancipation Proclamation; it’s also used for holographic entertainment. Other uses – like the development of virtual reality headsets are still very much in their infancy.
Today volumetric video is primarily a niche application that entertains audiences with 3D-gamed reality shows and ambitious documentary films. The other use case sees volumetric videos acting as interactive portals through which one can explore an entire environment up close and personal. Or you could take off on a one-way trip to Mars! All these applications capitalize on the persuasive power of true 3D vision to deliver immersive experiences.
Conclusion
Volumetric video technology enumerates another dimension to the storytelling, high-quality visualization due to its creative and fully optimized VR and AR. The volumetric video also takes people to communications and interactions to the next level.
