Ricoh has announced the opening of its latest competition aiming to attract app developers to create new applications for its Theta 360° camera. The company says it is looking for innovative and original apps and devices that are creative, have potential for the future and which have practical value to Theta users. The prize fund for the competition is five million Yen (about $ 45,000), with one million going to an overall winner who also gets a trip to Japan for the prize-giving ceremony.
The winner of the 2015 competition was a team called ‘bitstars’, which developed the desktop application ‘holobuilder’ that allows 2D and 3D objects, animations and text to be added to Theta 360° virtual tours. The program also allows links to be added to the photospheres so viewers can travel from image to image as if from room to room in a building or navigate an area following directions added to the scene.
For more information about the competition visit Ricoh’s Theta Developers Contest website. The closing date is 31st August 2016.
Press release:
RICOH Announces the RICOH THETA Developers Contest
RICOH IMAGING EUROPE S.A.S is pleased to announce the second annual developers contest. The competition is looking for new apps and gadgets that utilise the RICOH THETA camera which takes 360-degree, fully spherical images or videos in one capture. Once registered applicants have until 31st August 2016 to submit their final app and gadget designs.
Part of RICOH’s 80th anniversary celebrations this year, the contest challenges developers to create innovative apps and gadgets that work in conjunction with the RICOH THETA. Winners of the contest will receive a trip to Tokyo, Japan, for the awards ceremony and the first prize winner will be awarded a cash prize of one million Yen.
Applicants will also gain early access to an exciting new platform which has been optimised for cloud-based applications leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT). The new IoT platform makes it possible for developers to efficiently and cost-effectively build cloud-based apps, which typically require significant expertise in cloud services and servers and a longer development time.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
