As 360° cameras have spread, more videos are being shot on the move. In those shot on ride-based attractions, the physical track is visible in the scene, so viewers can anticipate where they are about to be carried. When the camera is instead carried by the operator, such as in footage shot while walking, no such path exists, making the upcoming camera motion hard to predict and at times disrupting the viewing experience.
We therefore developed a system that records the camera’s trajectory during shooting and lays it out in advance as virtual rails in the VR environment. Presented in synchronization with the video, the rails let viewers anticipate which way they are facing, where they are heading, and how fast they are moving, making the motion within the video easier to follow. Because the rails reveal the heading before the motion occurs, they are also expected to reduce VR sickness.
Experience screen presenting the recorded movement trajectory as rails
In the current implementation, the camera is mounted on a hand controller, so its movement is limited to the controller’s tracking range. Within that space, creators can move the camera freely to produce VR content that shows the path of travel.