The latest Mk2 product suite includes the Mk2 Camera Bar, Mk2 Server and Ncam Reality 2020 software.
Ncam Technologies, a developer of real-time augmented reality technology for the media and entertainment industries, has announced the availability of its new Mk2 Camera Bar, Mk2 Server and Ncam Reality 2020 software.
First shown as a prototype at IBC2019, the Mk2 Camera Bar has undergone significant development and enhancement. The Ncam R&D team further developed the platform and redesigned the accompanying suite of software, adding a raft of new features.
The Mk2 Camera Bar not only leverages the Intel RealSense hardware but also aims to suit the broadcast and film environments. The Camera Bar is now smaller, lighter, and able to mount more flexibly to a variety of camera rigs. It can be used with a jib, Steadicam, wire cam, and even with drones.
Previous generation hardware required an ethernet tether to return tracking data to a server running Ncam Reality software. The next-generation software now runs on the Mk2 Server and can be mounted on the camera or rig itself, meaning all camera tracking and lens data is computed locally. This means Ncam can now offer fully wireless tracking on a standard RF camera link, enabling remote production of AR graphics, as well as freeing up valuable rack space for outside broadcast applications.
The Ncam Reality 2020 software suite has also been redesigned, with key enhancements in several areas, including simplified operation, hybrid feature extraction including natural features, markers and fiducials, wireless-ready functionality with Mk2 hardware, and global performance and stability enhancements. Additionally, the AR Suite software looks to provide seamless integration into the latest Unreal Engine 4 toolset, providing a complete out-of-the-box solution for high fidelity real-time VFX.
Other improvements introduced with the Mk2 include faster setup and calibration which has been further enhanced by the release of a wizard-driven, role-based UI, ability to track non-natural features with no requirement to ‘learn’ any marker patterns, increased ruggedisation with witness lenses now mounted internally, a vastly simplified product offering and pricing model.
Commenting on the release, Nic Hatch, Ncam’s CEO, said: “This release marks a huge milestone in the history of Ncam. This new platform will be the foundation of our technology moving forward and is just the beginning in allowing us to help customers realise their vision without having to worry about technology. The close partnerships we have with the likes of Intel, Epic, and others will allow us to leverage further enhancements in both tracking and rendering technologies, as well as our own developments around spatial environment data capture and its reuse in non-live environments.”
