Here’s a brief look at some of the emerging new companies and technologies that were on display from November 15-17, many of whom will be introducing product based on eth technology they demo’d in 2011.
InVisage showcased their new medium for photographic image capture that they claims may someday supersede silicon. Their QuantumFilm promises significantly greater light sensitivity than CMOS or CCD image sensors, with, they add, no added cost or manufacturing complications. The company’s design manager Michael Malone introduced their new QuantumShutter that they claim will take care of the limitations currently in evidence when shooting moving objects with a camera phone. www.invisageinc.com
Nations Photo Lab demonstrated their solid wood Gallery Blocks that can be arranged with consumer images to create a three-dimensional piece of art. “With special wood and laminated photographic paper, each Gallery Block looks as though it is literally floating above your choice of backgrounds,” explained company president Ryan Millman. The product adds a whole new wrinkle to the standard gallery wrap concept. www.nationsphotolab.com
Memjet has developed what they are stating is the fastest inkjet printing technology ever invented. The company’s CEO David Clark presented a print engine for commercial photo printing that the company is ready to roll out. Their Memjet Photo Retail print engine is one component that features stationary print head that ha over 70,000jets creating what they call a “waterfall” tech that is significantly faster at a higher quality with fewer moving parts. www.memjet.com
Eindhoven, The Netherlands-based Silicon Hive presented their HiveGo technology that promises “unrivaled image and video capturing experience to smart phones.” The company’s marketing director Ingolf Held further explained, “The creativity of camera phone enthusiasts will be fueled by the premium user experience package HiveUX+ 1.0. Computational photography apps such as All-in-Focus and High-Dynamic-Range bring immersive experiences when capturing images of the world in novel ways. JPEG-XR enables archiving these images as never before.” www.siliconhive.com
CyArk is a nonprofit using what they called LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) scanning technology to precisely record and digitally preserve world heritage sites. Founder Ben Kacyra discussed the digital capture technologies used and their applications in fields of geo-spatial management, education, and cultural tourism. Recent projects have included the scanning of Mt. Rushmore and the historic St. Anne’s Church n Lithuania. www.cyark.org
Helping video cameras see in the dark was the central theme around Sweden-based Nocturnal Vision as company’s business development manager Michael Hoy demonstrated how the company uses research on nocturnal vision in insects to dramatically improve low-light videos and still photo capture. Hoy explained how spatiotemporal smoothing technology is behind making it possible for cameras cut through the darkness. www.nocturnalvision.se
Full-screen interactive panoramic imaging is the vision of yet another Sweden-based company, Pre-View. Company co-founder and CEO Magnus Janson discussed the 720-degree spherical image – a new and easy way to share everyday situations using only a mobile phone. “Capturing is done simply by swiping your device across the surroundings,” he demonstrated, “and exploring the spherical image is like being there yourself.” www.pre-view.org
The 6Sight Swedish connection continued with both Raviteq and Scalado making presentations. Raviteq develops applications for the creation, viewing, and sharing of mobile multimedia, including photo, video, sound, and music. The Swedish firm makes mobile phone multimedia usable and enjoyable everywhere. Founder Pierre Elzouki will demonstrate the next wave of mobile applications using multimedia to let users tell their stories. www.raviteq.com
Scalado returned to 6Sight to demonstrate how they combine their software and hardware technologies on existing mobile platforms to accelerate the imaging experience. Company CTO Sami Niemi presented several new features and technologies that promise to lift the mobile imaging experience to new heights. www.scalado.com
