Formula E filming races with 360-degree cameras for thrilling VR views
Electric cars may be the future of racing, and the league is tuned into cutting-edge entertainment too
Still in its infancy – it’s the first season, after all – Formula E racing is starting to turn some heads with its amazingly quiet, eco-friendly cars. OK, so that doesn’t sound so thrilling, but the league is finding ways to intrigue viewers.
One way is by filming races with 360-degree camera mechanisms, with multiple cars capturing the full field of vision as they whip around the tracks. The submarine-shaped device sits atop the cars and uses two fisheye lenses, which produces footage that can be stitched together on the fly via software to become an interactive 360-degree view.
You can catch a glimpse at one of the clips below, via YouTube’s recently added 360-degree support, using your mouse to look all around as the car zips along the competition. On an Android device, the YouTube app lets you maneuver your phone or tablet to do much the same.
Such videos are obviously a perfect fit for virtual reality headsets, and 360 Racing president Dmitri Kozko tells the Daily Mail that Oculus Rift support is already in the works and slated to launch later this year. Of course, the consumer Oculus Rift headset won’t be out until next year, but there are plenty of development kits out there already.
Livestreaming capabilities are likewise being developed, meaning you may soon be able to watch a race as it happens – with the same kind of view as the driver. And if you want to see Formula E in person, you’ll have an opportunity soon in London: the final races of the season are taking place at Battersea Park Street Circuit on 27-28 June.
[Source: Daily Mail]
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Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer 
