Ed. Note: As you read through this article about Immersive Media, you should be aware that they have used the technology described to capture 23 out of a planned 25 cities in the U.S. If you are doing retail expansion, or other activities that could benefit from this type of data, you might want to explore the company's web site and see if one of these cities fits your needs. The data feeds from all 11 cameras are stitched together into a geo-referenced 360 degree data stream, allowing you to measure, add to a map, etc.

Immersive Media Corp. (IMC) is an advanced digital video imaging company. Founded in 1995, IMC’s spherical video technology captures imagery in all directions simultaneously - a complete 360 degree, georeferenced, immersive video that provides a dataset for critical decisions and mapping.

GeoImmersive video places you, the viewer, in the middle of the environment and within context so you do not miss a thing. The omni-directional nature of the video allows the user to look at the same feature, location or object from all angles – front, back, side and top. The ArcGIS extension enables users to embed GeoImmersive imagery for access at specific locations and to be able to navigate through the environment.

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How it works
The portable Telemmersion Camera with eleven lenses can be mounted easily to a variety of surfaces, including airborne and land vehicles, or can be hand-held.

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Immersive imagery can be displayed live or recorded and presented on a number of different viewing devices ranging from monitors to a head mounted display. Up to five types of metadata can be simultaneously recorded with the immersive video. The IMC post-production software stitches together the footage providing unobstructed, omni-directional video. Audiences can navigate through the video via simple VCR-style controls and be in charge of what they see within the environment. A demo is available.

GeoImmersive Imagery Database
GeoImmersive video is available for each of the largest cities in the US and Canada including all major arteries, the downtown core and key attractions. International data collection is expanding across Europe and the Pacific Rim. The georeferenced video enables users to experience a terrestrial view and gives a picture as well as necessary GPS information. Exceeding the limitations of traditional aerial mapping which produces an abstract two dimensional map, GeoImmersive video also provides an “on the ground” experience that transcends the capabilities of computer modeling by providing spherical video that captures reality.

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The data can be licensed from IMC. Capture and post-production services are also available either direct through IMC or via a Certified Immersive Service Partner.