#Nokia introduces #OZO+, pushing boundaries in VR, AR and mixed reality
At the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nokia announced via a press release the next-generation technologies that will push the boundaries of possibility in virtual, augmented and mixed reality, called “OZO Reality”.
OZO Reality represents an ecosystem of best in class hardware and software tools for creating the best content in VR, AR, and mixed reality. Also, Nokia announced new partnerships and strong commitment to this part of the industry that could top $100 billion in less than a decade.
For hardware lovers like myself, the biggest news is, how Nokia explains it, “OZO+, a significant upgrade of Nokia’s industry-leading professional VR camera solution”. Nokia updated the OZO virtual reality camera, but no hardware changes were noted. We contacted Nokia about the hardware upgrade and this was their official response: “It is the same hardware but thanks to camera firmware and upgrades to OZO Creator, the end result in the quality of the imagery has a remarkable difference.”
If you ask how big the change really is, Nokia posted a few comparison photos on the OZO Blog, and the difference can be clearly seen. From the comparison, seems the OZO team did a great job, considering that Juha Alakarhu is on the OZO team, this doesn’t come as a surprise. Check the photos down below, while the detailed explanation of changes and pictures in higher resolution can be found here.
Big news is also that Nokia is, with the latest OZO Reality platform, entering the augmented and mixed reality space as well. The updated OZO Creator, Nokia’s VR image processing and stereoscopic software, now includes mixed Reality enablement. Other OZO services like OZO Live or OZO Audio, that is rumored to appear in a Nokia-branded flagship smartphone, received updates as well. The OZO Player SDK, for example, received the ability to integrate mixed Reality elements like advertising and game engine elements, while the OZO Creator now supports depth map export and format extension support to enable mixed reality content.
Nokia also de-coupled the OZO Creator software from the OZO+ camera and is now offering it separately for purchase through license. The VR camera still costs the same, €40,000 in EU and $45,000 in the US. Detailed pricing for OZO software tools and more information overall can be found on the official OZO site here.
