Novo Minoru - the world's first 3D webcam
No, this camera was not imagined by Steven Spielberg and if it looks like an extra terreste with two big eyes, because the camera on board not one, but two goals.
Indeed, the three-dimensional rendering is done through two layers (red and blue) and slightly offset, a method that can be found in the design of certain films at the cinema. The problem? it will have the famous cardboard glasses readjustment of the image depth, which means that the video-conferences should be fun ...
The manufacturer claims that the webcam will be distributed with 5 pairs in total price of 79.95 euros. Available for pre-order, the Novo Minoru is compatible with several software packages including Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, AOL Messenger or Skype.
The overall effect is to make the Minoru look eye-catchingly cute in order to grab your attention, and then clinch the sale with the promise of that 3D imagery. There are also two microphones in the ‘ears’ of the unit, so you can record sound with it as well, or use your PC’s own audio input and a separate microphone if you prefer.
In practice, the Minoru works pretty much like a conventional webcam, and can be plugged straight into a USB 2.0 port - the manual states that it won’t work with USB 1.x. It also states that you need a PC with a 2.4GHz processor, running either Windows XP or Vista - there’s no Mac support - although we managed to run it quite well on an old 1.8GHz Toshiba laptop.
Re: Novo Minoru - the world's first 3D webcam
I think the web cam 3d has a real future, including (and perhaps especially) in the industry. As against it would be better to use the principle of polarized glasses than those in green and red ...
