The Meta VR Camera Brings Moments For Connection In A Fractured World

VR’s best kept secret debuts with an immersive experience powered by 5G at the Eden Project

Over 30% of British adults have felt their wellbeing suffer during the pandemic due to loneliness, with technology acting as a lifeline to connect separated friends and family. Despite the vaccine, this is set to continue, gatherings, events, entertainment and travel plans are already cancelled for the foreseeable future. In the face of such challenges, technology must continue to answer the call. 

Now, London-based Meta Camera – the immersive production specialists – hope to revolutionise the way we connect with each other and our world in 2021, with their 360° degree cameras. Designed with the most advanced technology, the Meta One and Meta Two are able to bring virtual reality experiences and live streamed events at unparalleled resolutions and qualities. Viewers are given the chance to see parts of the world and enjoy moments limited to their hopes and dreams since COVID-19 restrictions became a reality. 

In its first large project of 2021, nine Meta Two cameras and one next generation Meta Three camera are going to be used en masse at the Eden Project in Cornwall as part of the government’s latest 5G test bed programme. They will be live-streaming from the famous Eden biomes, giving visitors all over the world the chance to enjoy the unique surroundings. Showing magical glimpses of Eden, from the tropical tree tops to the forest floor. Meta Two’s small form factor, back to back lens arrangement and unparalleled low light quality will truly immerse viewers in the environment. Throughout the project, Meta will be furthering the development of it’s custom stitching and streaming solutions, to allow for the content to be watched at resolutions that justify 5G and crucially transport people without the distraction of pixels. 

British-made and designed, Meta Cameras are the only 360° cameras on the market to record footage in ProRes 422 HQ, providing cinematic quality. They can also be operated with a mobile or web application, giving the user granular control over the camera, from choosing time-lapse settings, picture profiles, stitch previews, full shutter, WB and ISO controls along with a whole host of other useful settings and features. In this case, camera control can be totally offsite, with cameras being monitored, controlled and triggered from any part of the UK.

Henry Stuart, Co-Founder at Meta Camera commented: “The aim for Meta Cameras is to enable true immersion, whether that is in the heart of an orchestra, on the sidelines of the World Cup Final or in the heart of a Rainforest Biome. We don’t want the technology to be noticeable, rather we want people to lose themselves in the environment, we want them to feel transported – a true sense of presence somewhere else.”

“Partnering with Marshmallow Laser Feast, our cameras will show overlaid detail about the environment, from water flowing through plants to pollen moving through the air around you. It will be informative, educational, calming and just stunning to view. All of this will be enabled by a high spec 5G network that is being installed by aql, another of the project partners.” 

“We couldn’t be more excited to get these cameras out into the world and into the hand of the organisations with the aspirations to create better experiences. As a global society, all of us deserve more than we were given in 2020. The future is a time to come together, reconnect and heal. That may not be possible in person but it can be reality using this technology – we have to get out there and be in the world again.”

Sir Tim Smit, CEO & Co-Founder of The Eden Project, commented, “We want to be able to take our visitors, wherever they, whoever they are, down wormholes to explore our planet as never before and to feel a connection beyond the artificial boundaries of Humankind so we realise there is only one beautiful fragile nurturing planet.

“Using the extraordinary META cameras with 5G technology we can give people the experience of having a window on the world from their living room, bedroom or classroom.

“At Eden we feel the tingle of expectation at leading a revolution that will change the way we look at the world.”

With prominent events like Glastonbury 2021 already cancelled, Meta Camera is keen to share their camera’s advanced capability with the events industry as an innovative and advanced solution for professional live streaming. 

Each META Camera is custom-built. Anyone interested in owning or renting equipment should contact META Cameras directly.