The Panono Camera, a lob-friendly camera shaped like a grapefruit, is now tipped for launch early next year.
The tennis-ball tech can produce a completely spherical image measuring in at 108-megapixels.
It manages this impressive feat thanks to 36 camera modules built into the ball at varying angles. Once snapping is complete, the images are stitched together to create the panoramic equivalent of surround-sound.
Jonas Pfeil, president of Panono, says it’s ‘exciting to be just months away’ from bringing the ball to consumers, having worked on the project since 2011.
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“We are proud to be able to present the final and optimized design of the Panono Camera. Moreover, our panoramic camera counts to one of the highest-resolution consumer cameras worldwide.”
Panono managed to rake in around $1.25m (just north of £775k) early last year courtesy of Indiegogo backers. It’s now testing prototypes ahead of mass-production.
Since the initial crowdfunding campaign, there have been new features added to the ball. For starters, there’s now attachment points for ropes so you can hang the Panono Camera from a ceiling.
There’s also an indicator light that signals whether lighting and rotation conditions were good enough for a solid snap.
The firm is now readying up to begin a new round of crowd investing over on Companisto, snubbing traditional venture capitalist routes.
If you want your very own chuck-a-cam, the Panono Camera is still available for pre-order at a price of $549 – that’s about £340.
Read more: Best Cameras 2014
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
