Panoramic GigaPan images to hit Google Earth

Remember that GigaPan camera system from earlier this year? The one that made taking ridiculously large panoramic shots -- like the one of Dublin Castle above -- a lesson in simplicity? Yeah, well that very system is now being used to add detailed, wide-angle images to Google Earth thanks to collaboration between the search giant and Carnegie Mellon University. Additionally, we've now learned that Charmed Labs in Austin, TX will be manufacturing the mechanical devices and selling them for $300 apiece. But before the public gets their hands on 'em, the firm is producing 300 systems "for people who will provide them with feedback." Ah, the perfect excuse for a new widescreen monitor, no?

[Thanks, David]

[DickHardknocks @ Sep 28th 2007 10:41AM]

if I want panoramic I'll call Stephen Wiltshire and have him draw one for me to scale.

[DickHardknocks @ Sep 28th 2007 10:41AM]

if I want panoramic I'll call Stephen Wiltshire and have him draw one for me to scale.

[tymestomp @ Sep 28th 2007 10:54AM]

I am Spartacus!

[Grant @ Sep 28th 2007 10:51AM]

and whats impressive about this?
my nikon point and shoot camera does this when you put it in the right mode and use a tripod(you can do it without a tripod too, but the perspective usually comes out skewed)
just select all the pictures with the included program and it seamlessly merges them into what they have done right there.
and that cost me $200.

[Alexander @ Sep 28th 2007 11:28AM]

That, or use autostitch which does a pretty damn good job of it.

[Randy @ Sep 28th 2007 8:47PM]

The panorama assist mode found in many cameras is great, although it's designed for single-row or single-column panoramas. If you want to get past 100 megapixels or so, you really need multiple rows and columns, which is what the Gigapan automates. Some of the larger panoramas at gigapan.org consist of over 900 pictures -- multi-gigapixel :-).

[TIMMAH! @ Sep 28th 2007 1:19PM]

How does the results from Autostitch compare to other products like AutoPano or Panorama Factory?

[sarchi @ Sep 28th 2007 5:03PM]

there are already three up in manhattan I saw two weeks ago