Stereo Camera Design Proposition

[T3D <vidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

   I'm not sure how this will be received by the group but I've been
wanting to ask this question for a very long time now.  Do any of you
think it would be possible to design a stereo camera and viewer in
our virtual world here which we could ACTUALLY bring to market?

   I am asking this as a very serious proposition.  My only interest
in stereography for the past 9 years has been in the commercialization
of a modern stereo camera system.  I have a preliminary design of my
own for a camera, film mount and viewer for which I have applied for
patents.  But as most of you know, the patents will get you nothing
unless the device is actually made.

   My interest today is to find out if any of you would like to get
involved in this design effort.  This is, of coarse, a serious
undertaking since there will probably be legal issues regarding
"ownership" of the final product, but that is part of what must
be figured out here somehow.  I don't have all the answers, nor do
I know all the questions, but I think it would make for interesting
conversation.

   The way I see it working is, we would figure out who's in and who's
 not, what the team members "compensation" would be for their
contributions, what the design requirements would be, what the product
design would be for the three elements (camera, film mount and viewer),
and finally who can we get to actually manufacture and market the thing.
This last item should actually be known or understood up front since we
want to be sure we have someplace to sell it, but it's much easier to
sell this product to a manufacturer/marketer if the design is far enough
along (and we know it will work).

   Several years ago I incorporated my one man operation here in an
attempt to do what I proposed above, but my "day job" and other distractions
have kept me from bringing this all together.  It seems now though that the
time is right and this "New Product" may have a spot in the Marketplace.
I'll be interested in hearing what the group has to say and look forward to
sharing my product ideas with you.  I'm really excited about this and hope
we can focus some of the amazing talents I've come to know here in Tech-3D
toward a new stereographic camera system for the future.

Sincerely,
John D. Vala    President     Virtual Imaging Devices, Inc.


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