Bullet time, as popularized by films like The Matrix, has now become such a common special effect that seeing the dynamic pop up in a new music video or film almost seems passé. However, a new twist on that technology promises to bring the same kind of 360-degree time freeze effects to live events.
Developed by Japan's national public television network, NHK, the set-up uses an array of cameras, robotic mounting systems, and a software controller, allowing the cameras to move along with the action in unison and capture panoramic video on the fly. The end result is instantaneous bullet time effects. Each camera is equipped with tilt and pan robotics, and the software gives the cameras the ability to pan, zoom, and focus simultaneously.
And, because the finished footage can be viewed one minute after recording, this system could be easily be adopted for the live sports industry to offer never-before-possible views of the action, as well as important perspectives for referees needing to review a play to make a call.
You can see the multi-viewpoint robotic camera system in action in the video below.
Via Diginfo