360Rize, a 360Heros Inc. company, builds and manufactures camera systems and related solutions for virtual-reality, 360-degree video and photography, and augmented-reality work. Its 360Penguin camera can capture up to 6K video and 7K still images, while the company also trains production teams in immersive-video shooting and post-production. The company’s work was featured in the 2015 Guinness Book of World Records after it helped create a high-quality 360-degree video on Mount Everest.
Bounce ImagingBorn from work at the Harvard Innovation Laboratory and MIT after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Bounce Imaging builds rugged, low-cost 360-degree camera and sensor systems that let first responders and military teams see into dangerous or confined spaces before entering. Its throwable cameras capture stabilized video and audio in every direction at once, giving multiple users a shared view and the ability to review what happened behind them. The company says its systems are fielded by more than 800 public-safety and defense agencies worldwide, including U.S. SOCOM and federal law-enforcement teams.BUFFALO, NY
Circle OpticsCircle Optics grew from founder Zakariya Niazi’s college idea into a Rochester imaging company known for solving the stitching problem in panoramic cameras. Its patented optical architecture aligns fields of view before images are created, producing real-time 360-degree imagery for organizations that need dependable visual awareness, including defense and aerospace users. The team brings more than 200 collective patents to its work.ROCHESTER, NY
Whirlwind3D LLCWhirlwind3D LLC develops software and electronic hardware for virtual, augmented and mixed reality, as well as distributed simulation systems such as flight simulators. Its patented work in real-time video processing is aimed at making live transmission more efficient, including wireless video and audio for virtual-reality headsets. The company also markets specialized audio products under its Oigo brand.BEAVERCREEK, OH
sphere Optics CompanySphere Optics Company makes a patented single-lens system that captures a complete 360-degree spherical view on one camera sensor, without the stitching required by multi-camera rigs. Its unusual toroidal-mirror design supports close shooting with fewer parallax errors and works with familiar professional camera workflows, making it suited to immersive video and difficult spaces such as cockpits. The company currently offers its limited lens inventory primarily through short-term rentals for spherical video production.JAMESVILLE, NY