Sometimes the song “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” coasts through my head when I see the absurdity presenting itself in reality every day. The 360° Videos helmet, made possible with 3D printing, has once again led me to whistle “Life is but a dream” as the GoPro mounted helmet allows for a complete 360 degree recording of one’s everyday activities, be they extreme or otherwise.
The helmet is capable of holding up to 18 mini cameras, which can be controlled via remote to capture any event from 360 degrees around the wearer. Seeing the founder of Austria-based 360° Videos, Alessandro Dimas, wearing the helmet’s prototype is enough to make you question your sanity, but watching footage taken by the helmet slip into a third person perspective, high above the wearer, is like slipping into a dream yourself. See what I mean in the video below:
Dimas says that creating the helmet wouldn’t have been possible without 3D printing. In the prototyping stages, a metal mounting system was considered, but it would have been too heavy for the wearer. The prototype was then manufactured with a 3D printer, giving 360° Videos the ultimate design for their surreal device.
The company assures the public that, while a bit cumbersome looking, the 360° Videos helmet allows users to participate in the actions that they record relatively freely. Dimas believes that the unique perspective offered by the device alone will help any company trying to market itself, saying, “Making people curious about what a business is doing, is the first step in the right direction.” If viewers survive the head-trip created by 360° Videos recorded from the helmet, I have no doubt that they won’t be impressed.
The helmet will soon be available for purchase – minus the all-important cameras – for $1,990. A return to an ordinary perception of reality? Priceless.
