Facebook Open Sources 360-Degree Virtual Reality Camera

True to its word, Facebook has released the blueprints for its 360-degree virtual reality camera, dubbed Surround 360, on open source. The complete specs and tutorials are available on Github according to Engadget, and they comprise of an Ikea-style do-it-yourself guide on assembling the camera, installing the requisite software and adjusting the hardware and software to suit your needs.

The Surround 360 is a 17-camera assembly that is specifically designed to capture panoramic footage in 360 degrees, as its name suggests, and produces 8K resolution video. Included in the information released by Facebook, is the software that patches together the disparate footage to create a 360-degree video, according to Techcrunch.

What Facebook gets out of it is, of course, more footage for its social media platform and more native content to encourage the use of its Oculus VR headsets. While it hopes to encourage the sharing of 360-degree video on its newsfeed, Engadget notes that the Surround 360 is more for professionals than hobbyists. The parts required to put this contraption together cost a hefty $30,000.

The Verge notes that nearly all of the parts required for assembly are available off-the-shelf, excluding one, which is a cone-shaped case that you will need to specially order from a machinist.

And, of course, open-sourcing the camera encourages people to tinker with, modify, and adapt the Surround 360 into different configurations.