Saturday, July 4, 2009

Dr. Robert Ballard sees a 360° future


On NPR's "Science Friday" yesterday, Dr. Robert Ballard, discoverer of the Titanic and Explorer-in-Residence at National Geographic, discussed his upcoming expeditions, his efforts to wire the scientific community to exploration in real time, and his vision of the future with Ira Flatow.

Here's the NPR link

As I was driving through Oregon's Coastal Range and losing reception, it was nice to hear one of my personal heros mention his vision for "electronic travel". It's a future in which a family would come together in a spherical entertainment room and rent a virtual experience from some far flung travel destination. Bravo, Dr. Ballard. That future is on the horizon, and it starts with 360° Video, captured with multi-directional cameras, distributed over the web, and currently displayed on our personal computers, but I can't wait for that high-definition, spherical entertainment room.

Until then, the best we have is Immersive Media's collection of short 360° demonstration videos at www.immersivemedia.com

Enjoy the journey and have a great Fourth of July!

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