January 4, 2023 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a provider of digital imaging solutions, has announced at CES 2023 this week a new immersive movie experience that will place attendees inside of the story. With the launch of the theme ‘Limitless Is More,’ and Canon’s latest imaging innovations, CES attendees will be able to fully immerse themselves into M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming Universal Pictures thriller, ‘Knock at the Cabin.’
Kokomo
Kokomo is an immersive virtual reality (VR) software solution from Canon U.S.A., designed to change human communication by combining VR with an immersive calling experience. The software is designed to provide users with a way to meet friends and family virtually by using a compatible VR headset and a compatible smartphone. The Kokomo solution will allow users to see and hear one another in real time with their live appearance and expression, in a photo-real environment, according to Canon.
The company’s Kokomo solution is being designed so that people can feel together and experience social interaction from anywhere, as long as they have a compatible headset, software and an internet connection. The Kokomo solution will also work to fully mirror true physical appearance – even facial expressions – inside what is effectively a 3D video call, according to the company. Canon U.S.A. is currently developing the KOKOMO application, but the company noted that the application is not available for sale or use in the US or elsewhere.
Free Viewpoint
Canon’s Free Viewpoint Video System for arenas, stadiums, and studios comprises more than 100 Canon Cinema EOS-based 4k cameras and lenses. The data captured from the cameras is sent to a server system that creates point-cloud based 3D models that quickly reproduce various viewpoints or desired camera angles, like that from a drone, swooping in and around players, or a small POV camera, looking at actors in a commercial or music video shoot. The result is an immersive and customizable viewing experience from perspectives that may not be possible with traditional camera systems, according to Canon.
In the US, the system has been installed at two NBA arenas including Rocket Mortgage Field House in Cleveland (Cavaliers), as well as Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York (Nets). The video can be broadcast out live and also compiled into replay clips. Canon noted that the system also allows for extensive flexibility with virtual advertising and other opportunities for monetization.
MREAL
MREAL, a mixed reality experience, utilizes Canon’s imaging technology to integrate real and virtual worlds, showing end-users what this type of integration can do for industry, education, medicine, entertainment, and more. Canon stated that MREAL is unlike anything the company has ever developed. The solution offers a premium visualizer/simulator that helps account for limits of scale, perception, analysis, and participation, and provides almost life-like image clarity and color accuracy, according to the company, which added that the MREAL technology is currently in the market research phase in the US.
AMLOS (Activate My Line of Sight)
The AMLOS (Activate My Line of Sight) solution was developed by Canon U.S.A. to help amplify how people see and interact in hybrid meeting environments. The AMLOS solution is a software-and-camera product suite designed for collaboration across multiple meeting locations.
The advanced software-and-camera product suite features sophisticated PTZ (pan, tilt, and zoom) camera functionality guided by hand gesture controls for certain actions for in-person participants. Remote users are given the flexibility to customize their viewing experience and to see objects or areas of the in-person space. This allows both in-person and remote participants to engage in meetings or collaborative discussions, with an intuitive experience with hand gesture controls for certain actions for in-person participants, and a user interface that can be customized by a remote participant to help promote collaboration.
Canon will be showcasing all of its newly announced innovations at CES 2023 this week, with attendees able to experience each aspect of the company’s new immersive storytelling solutions through several Knock at the Cabin-related experiences and demos.
For more information on Canon U.S.A. and its immersive storytelling technology and solutions, please visit the company’s website.
Image / video credit: Canon U.S.A. / YouTube
About the author
Sam Sprigg
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.
