V.I.O. started off as Viosport, a company that created helmet cameras used for recording extreme sports. In 2005, due to the growing demand from law enforcement agencies, the company came out with a line of rugged wearable video devices under the VioTac brand name. In addition, the company changed its name to V.I.O., in order to reflect its focus on point of view (POV) video technology.
The POV.1 is a high-quality wearable camera, which records 30fps videos at a resolution of 720 x 480. The camera comes with a wireless remote control and with video editing software. The ergonomic user interface design enables single-handed camera operation and hands-free video capturing. A modular mounting system helps the camera to remain stable even when attached to high-impact gear, such as helmets. The POV.1 video camera can also be used in hazardous environments, since it is both water-resistant and shock-resistant.
The POV.1 has two recording modes, LOOP and CLIP. In LOOP mode, the user tags and saves key video segments. In CLIP mode, the video is continuously recorded, just like it is in traditional video recording using MPEG4.
The POV.1 uses an SD card to record videos. Unfortunately, the current model of the POV.1 does not support the new SDHC media format and is limited to 2GB memory cards. According to V.I.O, upcoming features of the device will include titling, audio overlays, transition effects, and a Mac-compatible version that will be available in 2008. The current price of the POV.1 camera is approx. $850.
TFOT recently covered a new shoulder mounted camera, developed by researchers in the UK. The smart camera can track the movements of the user and move accordingly, recording what the user sees at all times. TFOT also reported on a GPS module for cameras, which was demonstrated in CeBIT 2007.
More information on the POV.1 can be found on V.I.O’s website (videos can be found here).
