If you thought your new smartphone is “the shieeet” because it can make panoramic photos, you should know that the technology for making spherical videos is also out there. And Subaru decided to use it so that motorsport fans can enjoy a different level of immersion when watching racing videos.
Subaru Motorsports claims it’s the first brand in the world to introduce an app that allows the use of interactive 360 degrees videos. And is also free for both iTunes and Android.
"To our knowledge we are the first brand in the world to launch an app with this amazing video capability for motorsports use," stated Rob Weir, Subaru Motorsports Marketing Manager. "It's certainly a game-changer in motorsports media and we're excited to be leading the way."
How it works? Well, Subaru’s rally cars have been fitted with 360-degree-filming cameras that record the race from any inside/outside angle. Basically, there are several small cameras filming in all directions from inside a sphere, just like Google Maps cars have, only that it is recording a video.
This way, users can view the race from inside the cockpit or from the hood of the car in any direction by simply swiping their finger over the screen or moving the device from side to side. And that’s not all, as Subaru announced to adapt the technology for virtual reality head sets like the Oculus Rift for an even greater level of immersion.
To check out Subaru’s new app, head on to iTunes here or Google Play Store here and download the free app, then start it and search for video tagged with “360” in the feed. We hope they will feed live footage sometime in the near future too. Just imagine how cool it will be to wear some VR googles and ride along Travis Pastrana in a rally stage right from your couch.
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