HTC brings flat 360-degree video to life with 6DOF functionality.

As captivating as conventional 360-degree video can be, it pales in comparison to the level of immersion offered by volumetric content featuring 3D depth and 6DOF capabilities. Looking around a 360-degree environment is one thing, being able to lean and move around the space is something entirely different.

During this years HTC Vive Ecosystem Conference, HTC unveiled a new service that injects 6DOF functionality into a conventional monoscopic 360-degree video, allowing users to move their heads in any direction up to one meter.

According to Skarredghost, ‘6DOF Lite’ mode is capable of automatically converting existing monoscopic 360 into full volumetric video minus the need for expensive photogrammetry, volumetric, or lightfield camera technology.

Unfortunately, the only information offered in terms of a release date is a good old-fashioned “soon.”

If 6DOF Lite sounds somewhat familiar, that’s because Adobe Research launched a similar initiative back in 2017. Sidewinder captured the positions of pixels and analyzed their distance in relation to other objects in the scene to develop a 3D depth map, offering more realistic 3D imagery. Unfortunately, it appears as though the project is currently on the backburner.

In an interview this past October with Immersive Shooter, Adobe’s Director of Immersive Chris Bobotis stated that there was “nothing new to report with Project Sidewinder.” The company has instead focused its efforts on VR180, favoring its ability for longer form work at higher resolutions than 360-degree content.