Nokia announces VR camera Ozo for the entertainment industry

What doesn’t kill you, only makes you stranger. Nokia has announced a device called Ozo, which is a camera that can capture videos in 360 degrees. The device had been rumoured earlier, but most said Nokia would launch a VR headset instead of a camera. The Ozo though, while of course not a headset, isn’t a VR camera for consumers either. It is expected to be highly expensive and is aimed at movie makers, advertising and the media industry. Which is perhaps also the reason why Nokia wants to unveil it at an event for the entertainment industry, in Los Angeles.

The Ozo allows filmmakers to shoot VR videos in real time, using two functions. The first of these is live monitoring, which can allow the filmmaker to view footage while it is being shot, using a headset. This is followed by another feature known as rapid playback, which renders low resolution video for playback within a few minutes. Usually, playing a VR video requires shooting footage and then digitally stitching it together.Nokia’s VR camera weighs around 2.7 kg and has eight optical image sensors. It captures audio using eight microphones that have been embedded into the body. This allows it to reproduce audio from the direction it is actually coming from. In addition, the Ozo is of course, a really good looking device.

While rumours about Nokia making a VR headset weren’t exactly true, there were also talks about the company bringing a whole platform. This has turned out to be true, since the Ozo aims to accomplish just that, but for the professional movie making industry. Interestingly, the team that has designed the Ozo camera is the same team that designed Nokia’s recent N1 tablet, which sells only in China right now.

Nokia has also said that it is looking to re-enter the smartphone industry tomorrow, and has recently acquired French company Alcatel. It is important to note that as part of the company’s deal with Microsoft, Nokia can’t make phone till 2016. The company is also rumoured to be looking at building Android devices.

So, if you were thinking that the Nokia you once loved has died, think again. As things are going with the company right now, it seems Nokia is getting ready to get back with a bang.