Back in 2015, Nokia unveiled the Ozo VR, a pro-grade $60,000 camera for VR. However, in 2017 it bailed out of the market to focus more on digital health tech. Now it has decided to have another go and it just announced the “world’s first 5G 360° camera for industrial use”.
It’s called the Nokia 360 Camera and can live-stream 8K video with spatial audio with a low-latency connection. Several different connectivity options are available: 5G, Wi-Fi and Ethernet. The Wi-Fi only model is the cheapest, though as an industrial device, it will be out of reach for casual consumers. The 5G variant can survive extreme temperatures.
The camera as a whole is quite rugged with an IP67 water resistance rating and it is shock-resistant too. It’s also designed to withstand a different kind of danger – it has cyber-secure software with built-in security hardware.
The Nokia 360 Camera is designed to work with the Nokia Real-time eXtended Reality Multimedia (RXRM) software solution. This allows it to be used for teleoperation of industrial equipment, to be deployed for remote monitoring and inspection, as well as situational awareness.
The platform delivers 360° video and 3D OZO Audio and helps companies build analytics, overlays, extended reality and other features on top.
Connectivity and mounting options
The Nokia 360 Camera has already been deployed in Europe’s deepest mine, Pyhäsalmi Mine, where it is used for R&D and remote operations training by fellow Finnish company Callio Pyhäjärvi.
Sami Ranta, General Manager, RXRM, Nokia, said: “Nokia RXRM allows industrial customers to enhance their business processes, saving costs from product support to field operations. Adding a 5G-enabled industrial camera product to RXRM now offers a complete solution for real-time remote use cases such as situational awareness, remote monitoring, teleoperation and stadium scale sports and entertainment events.”