谷歌與GoPro合作進軍虛擬現實領域

Google has teamed up with GoPro to make its first big push into virtual reality, in the hope of turning the technology into a mass market product.

谷歌已跟GoPro達成合作關係，這是爲進軍虛擬現實(VR)領域採取的第一項重大措施，希望把這項技術變成一種大衆市場產品。

Jump, a “spherical-video” project, was unveiled at Thursday’s Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco and marks the first step of what the company promises will become a sustained investment in a sector that analysts predict could become the next battleground for large internet groups.

週四在舊金山舉行的谷歌 I/O開發者大會上，谷歌公佈了Jump“環繞式視頻拍攝”工具，這也是這家公司承諾對虛擬現實部門投資的第一步，分析師們預測，虛擬現實領域將變成各大互聯網巨頭的下一個戰場。

GoPro is developing a rig of 16 cameras, arranged in an outward-facing circle that ensures the video is synchronised and combined in such a way that it can be processed into VR-ready media.

GoPro正在開發一種16個攝像頭的相機陣列，攝像頭面向外面排成一個圓圈，以確保錄像內容的同步和拼接，再通過處理後進入具備VR功能的媒體。

Once the footage from those cameras is uploaded to the cloud, Google will use its algorithms to stitch together the sound and images into 360-degree, 3D films.

片段鏡頭上傳到雲後，谷歌將使用其算法把聲音和圖像整合成爲360度的3D影像。

This will allow the company to deliver the videos to users of its Cardboard viewer, a low-cost headset it launched in January. Any recent smartphone can be inserted into the kit and used as the screen.

這讓該公司可以把錄像內容發送給Cardboard觀察鏡——一款今年1月推出的低價頭戴式視圖器。任何一部近來的智能手機都可以接入該設備，充當屏幕。

Analysts say that along with its close cousin, augmented reality, VR has the potential to broaden beyond gaming and entertainment to include communication and commerce.

分析師表示，與其最相近的增強現實技術一道，虛擬現實技術有潛力把應用範圍從遊戲與娛樂延伸到通信與商業。