Re-Defining Your Needs: Does 360 conference camera support AR/VR headsets?

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) headsets may not work the same as a 360 conference camera. However, their technologies do work the same. All-in-one video conference cameras with fisheye lenses use a similar stitching technology as those in VR. Have you heard of Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Intelligence?

Related: How VR and AR Improve 360 Conference Camera Virtual Meetings in 2022

According to Google, AR and VR connect the digital and physical worlds to provide you with a richer experience. You can take in information and content the same way you take in the world around you with AR and VR. 

AR/VR can assist you in a wider range of everyday tasks, like seeking out information, shopping, and expressing yourself. With VR especially, you can experience what it feels like to be anywhere—from the front row of a concert to distant planets in outer space.

This blog post will explore how AR/VR technology can add value to your video communications tool set. We’ll tell you if 360 conference camera support AR/VR headsets. Learn more about it here, so keep reading.

AR/VR Headsets and 360 Conference Camera

Adding Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) sessions at the conference, indicates that the future of software development will involve augmented reality and virtual reality. 

VR has been gaining traction in recent years thanks to compelling games and experiences that allow you to look around a virtual space as if you were there or play as though you were there. Headsets are still in a state of flux, with ones coming and going fairly rapidly.

Meanwhile, a 360 conference camera allows remote meeting participants to explore the real world from a VERY wide angle and better experience as they can assimilate with the panoramic view. In this type of experience, the camera’s AI technology chooses the proper way of stitching together each angle to give you an uninterrupted view of the device users.

Ways on How 360 Conference Camera Supports AR/VR Headsets During Remote Meetings

When you think about it, there are many ways in which AR, VR, and similar technologies can enhance your video conferencing experience. Here is the list:

AR/VR headset compatibility in conferencing software

One of the first things you’ll want to know when shopping for a video conferencing tool is whether or not it supports an AR/VR headset. While not all video conferencing tools support AR/VR headsets, most do. And in the future, even more, will follow suit. 

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One of the most popular videoconferencing tools, Zoom, currently supports AR/VR headsets, including Oculus Go and Oculus Rift. 

You can use your headset to navigate the interface and take advantage of features like avatar customization and in-app voice and video calls. Zoom also allows users to play 360-degree videos from their collections on Oculus Go. 

In the future, Zoom plans to add support for other AR/VR headsets such as the HTC Vive, Microsoft HoloLens, and the Google VR headset. You can find the full list of VR/AR headset support in different video conferencing tools in our blog post.

Telepresence and remote collaboration with AR/VR headsets

AR/VR headsets can not only help you enhance your own video conferencing experience, but they can also help you engage in remote meetings and collaboration more effectively. 

With AR/VR, you can do more than just host a meeting with your team in a video conference room. You can also beam into a remote colleague’s environment in real-time and make your presence known in their dedicated space. You can make sure your team is always connected and can effectively navigate challenging situations or environments. 

This could be particularly useful for educators who want to walk students through a complex experiment that may be too dangerous or expensive to replicate in the classroom. It can also be helpful in the healthcare field to give doctors a virtual walk-through of their patient’s specific environment or allow specialists to remotely join private consultations or patient visits.

Virtual Environment Collaboration with AR/VR headsets

AR/VR headsets can also help you collaborate with colleagues in virtual environments. 

  • You can build virtual prototypes of your product or walk your clients through architectural designs. 
  • You can also create virtual simulations and training scenarios. This can allow your team to navigate and interact with these virtual worlds with all the benefits of being in a natural environment, while also avoiding the costs and limitations that come with the real world. 
  • You can also create virtual environments that allow remote users to join in on collaborative discussions and projects with all the same functionality they would get if they were in the same room with you. 
  • AR/VR headsets can also help you create interactive virtual environments where your team can play and engage with each other in new and interesting ways.
Read our article The Marvels of AI Conference Camera and Machine Learning in Video Conferencing here

Augmented Video Conferencing with AR/VR headsets

Video conferencing is a tried and tested way of engaging in virtual collaboration and communication using all-in-one video conferencing equipment. However, it is not always effective in that regard because you can’t see your colleagues face-to-face or contextualize their emotions. 

AR/VR headsets can help solve this problem by augmenting your video conference feed with media. This could be as simple as adding a virtual screen to your video feed that shows information relevant to the discussion. 

You could also add a virtual screen that projects a real-time feed of your colleagues and their reactions to what you are saying. AR/VR headsets can also help you achieve more complex feats such as superimposing a 3D rendering of your colleagues into your video feed. This could be particularly helpful in fields like education and engineering where it may be useful to have your colleagues’ models and designs overlaid in your video feed.

VR Video Conferencing With AR/VR Headsets

VR isn’t just for engaging in a virtual environment. 

  • It can also be used to enhance the video conferencing experience by creating a 360-degree video feed between you and your colleagues using a 360 conference camera - the Coolpo AI Huddle Pana. This can help establish a sense of presence between you and your colleagues and make the video conferencing experience feel more real. 
  • VR video conferencing can also help you bring more complex, multisensory experiences to your video calls. You could, for example, use scent-emitting devices to bring scents into the video feed and help your colleagues feel more like they are there. 
  • You could also use gesture-control devices to help you navigate your video feed and bring your hands into the video feed to make it easier to navigate and communicate. VR video conferencing can also help you bring more creative experiences to your video calls. Perhaps you want to play a virtual game with your colleagues or host a virtual arts and crafts session with your children or students. VR can help you bring these experiences into your video feed.
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Benefits from 360-degree conference camera support

Apart from the benefits we’ve explored above, here is a list of the benefits of a 360 conference camera to your video conferencing experience with an AR/VR headset:

  • 360-degree camera support can help you get a more immersive 360-degree view of your video feed. This can help you better visualize your video call surroundings, participate in virtual collaboration environments, and engage in VR video conferencing. 
  • By using a 360 conference camera in your video feed, you can create a more immersive video conferencing experience. You can also use this view to help you navigate your surroundings, visualize your architectural designs, and participate in virtual collaboration environments. 
  • With 360-degree video support, you can also bring 360-degree views of remote environments into your video feed using VR video conferencing.

Two Main Types of a 360 Conference Camera

When selecting a 360 conference camera, you need to consider what type of experience you want to achieve. 

The two main types of 360 conference cameras are equiangular and fisheye. 

Equi-angular cameras produce 360-degree videos that are viewable from any angle. This type of video is ideal for 360 video hosting platforms as it can be viewed from any angle. 

Fisheye cameras produce 360-degree videos that are viewable from a limited range of angles. This is because fisheye cameras produce a distorted image that can be used to create a circular view from a specific range of angles.

What features should you look for in a 360 conference camera?

When you are shopping for a 360 conference camera, you want to make sure that it supports the use cases you want to use it for.

  • Compatible with the video conferencing tools you use 
  • Decent resolution and frame rate. 
  • A 360 conference camera that can receive video calls. 

Coolpo AI Huddle Pana - An All-In-One Video Conferencing Equipment

The Coolpo AI Huddle Pana is a 360 conference camera. If you wish to have a video conferencing camera that has all the features that you ought to be looking for in a 360 conference camera, check out our website.

Here are the features of the Pana:

  • 360 conference camera (Fisheye camera)
  • 4k video conferencing resolution
  • Plug and Play (easy to set up)
  • Zero wireless vulnerability (because it’s USB-only!)
  • 4 microphones with up to 15ft pickup in each direction
  • Caters 3-15 meeting participants
  • Compatible with Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, etc.

Factors You Need to Consider When Implementing AR/VR Headsets

If you’re going to implement an AR/VR headset into your video conferencing tools, there are a few factors you should consider before you make the decision. 

  • First, you need to decide what type of headset you want to use. AR/VR headsets vary in quality, so you must select the right one for your needs and budget. 
  • Once you have found the right headset, you need to decide whether you are going to look at simple stereoscopic 3D visualization or whether you want to add more nuance to your video experience. 
  • You also need to decide how you want to use your AR/VR headset. You can pass the headset directly to your colleagues so that they can interact with it. Although for hygiene purposes, it’s not very ideal.

Alternatively, you can plug an all-in-one conference camera with VR capabilities into a computer so that you can safely to interact with it and each other. Moreover, you can use it for self-play and remote collaboration like the Pana.

Conclusion

Even though we’re still in the early days of virtual and augmented reality and most people are still unfamiliar with these technologies, more and more businesses are making the shift towards implementing AR/VR headsets in their products. 

AR/VR headsets can help your customers engage more effectively with your brand. As these products become more popular, they are not yet compatible to be used with any other webcam devices. However, a 360-degree camera support is likely to become a standard feature in video conferencing products since they produce a live stream of your actual surroundings.

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