When it comes to the immersive tech space in South Korea one name of course stands head and shoulders above all others, that of Samsung. The multinational conglomerate is responsible through its partnership with Oculus for the Samsung Gear VR smartphone-based head-mounted display (HMD) as well as its line of 360 degree cameras, primarily the Gear 360. Whilst it is by far and away the biggest name, this does not mean that Samsung is in any way the only company in the country connected with virtual reality (VR) related technologies.
The latest name to join the party is Next Aeon, Inc. who have just revealed its own VR brand, YouVR. YouVR 360 – a social media platform for uploading and sharing 360 degree photos – and YouVR Maker, a more professionally slanted app for the creation of VR tours by stitching a series of 360 degree photos together so you can move around a location from one viewpoint to another, are both now available on the Google Play and Apple App stores (although its availability in Western territories is unconfirmed). The apps are a follow on from development by Next Aeon revealed earlier in the year when the company revealed a new way to stitch photos together into 360 degree form using an Apple iPhone 7; taking six images and automatically identifying areas of overlap, merging and colour correcting them into a spherical whole.
“Given the limited CPU and memory on a smartphone and other mobile devices, realizing this technology is extremely difficult.” Explains Next Aeon’s CEO Ken Kim. “There are external factors to consider, such as the amount of light in one corner of the room to another, but there are also internal obstacles in a smartphone setting. Overcoming these limitations, we are able to democratize VR by making it available to anyone who has a mobile device. I wanted to make VR common place. As ubiquitous as our world is now, immersive media content has not been able to catch up. The problem was that it was too difficult to make. YouVR was meant to be DIY from the beginning. I envision a world where everyone has VR at their fingertip. Just as smartphones have become a natural part of our daily lives today, YouVR will be a household name in the near future.”
Next Aeon is said to be targeting realtors at home and abroad as potential customers for the app, something we have seen other 360 degree platform developers also do. It wil also be expanding the YouVR brand as early as next month when it releases a third app, this a “360 degree hybrid video mobile app” which is presently being tested. VRFocus will you bring more information about this app when it is released.
via Mint VR