Total solar eclipse 360-degree personal VR and planetarium dome video for educational outreach
Elizabeth Dowell, Andrew Petersen, Sheri Trbovich, William R. Dowell, John E. Sohl, Murielle Shallbetter, Ron Proctor · Digital Commons-DePaul (DePaul University) · 2017
Multiple camera systems were flown to the stratosphere twelve times during the summer of 2017 to develop a high-resolution, semi-stabilized, 360-degree video platform for documenting the total solar eclipse above Idaho. The video clips are being processed into VR video that can be viewed on smart phones mounted inside inexpensive headsets. The user can visually follow the Moon’s shadow from Oregon through Idaho and into the Wyoming Tetons. It is also being processed for distribution on planetarium domes. Three primary camera systems were used the Garmin Virb 360, two Kodak PIXPRO SP360s, and six GoPro Sessions. Various gimbled, inertial, and active mounting systems were experimented with, each having advantages and disadvantages. For viewing the VR video, multiple inexpensive headsets were tested. The pros and cons of the different systems will be discussed and preliminary VR video will be demonstrated.