Acer has announced its first 3D camera, the SpatialLabs Eyes Stereo, just ahead of Computex 2024 next week. The camera can do both 3D photos and video, which can then be viewed within the camera itself, in a VR headset, or on a 3D display.
You might be wondering what a PC company is doing selling a 3D camera, but Acer has been on the forefront of 3D tech for years now — primarily focused on stereoscopic displays in external monitors and laptops. But now, the company has a proper camera for content capture.
“The SpatialLabs Eyes Stereo Camera completes Acer’s stereoscopic 3D portfolio, providing solutions from content capturing and creation to display and interaction,” said Jerry Kao, chief operating officer of Acer Inc. “We hope to empower users to capture the world around them in stunning stereoscopic 3D through the new camera, and we’re excited to see the possibilities and the amazing content they will be able to create and share.”
The camera has 8 megapixels per eye, with an aperture of f/2.0 and a focal length of 3mm. In terms of resolution, the camera is capable of 7680 x 2160 or 3840 x 2160 photos, as well as three side-by-side (SBS) video resolutions (7680 x 2160@30SBS, 3840 x 2160@60SBS, or 3840 x 2160@30SBS).
The SpatialLabs Stereo Eyes camera has a number of other features, including auto and touch focus, electronic image stabilization (EIS), and a manual mode. It also has a built-in “selfie mirror” and a weatherproof chassis. Speaking of the chassis, it’s “glassed with a shale black coat,” while the lens cap and mirror have an aluminum lining for extra protection.
The camera weighs around a half pound. It includes a 1500 mAh battery, a built-in stereo microphone, and a microSD card slot, and it can charge via USB-C.
One of the unique aspects of the camera is that it can stream directly to platforms like YouTube, as well as video calls on Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or Google Meet. You might be wondering why you’d want to join your morning huddle in 3D, and I can’t answer that question. There’s certainly been in an interest in forcing people to attend virtual meetings as 3D avatars or in VR headsets. In theory, you could set this up next to your SpatialLabs 3D monitor and engage in a fully 3D video call.
Having seen Acer’s SpatialLabs monitors and laptops in person, I can say they’re fairly impressive. The stereoscopic 3D effect is quite smooth, The technology has been aimed at gaming first, likely because it’s easy to convert the content into 3D. With the SpatialLabs camera, Acer continues to invest further in the entire ecosystem to presumably spur on more interest in the category.
The Acer SpatialLabs Stereo Eyes camera will be available in North America in the third quarter and will cost $549.
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