A new camera from Matter Design wants to make creating videos as simple as pushing a button. Their new camera, called Graava, works just like any other small action camera, but instead of loading the footage on your computer later, Matter Design wants to do the editing for you. Graava has quite a few sensors inside that detect when something interesting happens in front of your camera, whether that's movement, audio, or the physical camera itself moving faster, and it flags these for later. Here's the intro video to see how this all works:
This is how the auto-editing sends the information to servers (this process can take anywhere from minutes to much longer, depending on the amount of footage and your internet connection):
After returning from a day recording video outdoors, you use the App on your smart phone to tell Graava what you want to do with it (for example, summarize 3 hours of video in a 2-minute clip). Then you drop the camera in the charger and go to bed. Graava will detect that it has power, activate Wi-Fi connectivity and automatically synchronize and edit the video for you. You get a notification when the clip is available and ready to share. Graava use its AI algorithms and the sensor data recorded by the camera to automatically pick the best scenes from the raw video footage.
Here are two example videos that show what the camera can do when it's given a decent amount of footage:
- Video Resolution: HD 1080p 30 fps / 720p 60 fps
- Hyperlapse Video: 4K, 1080p and 720p
- Photo Resolution: 8MP Wide
- Lens Angle of View: 130º
- Auto Image Rotation: Record video horizontally or vertically
- Looping Mode: Record a continuous loop video
- Image Stabilization
- Fixed Focus
- Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-ion 1100mAh, 3,7V
- Battery Life: Video 1080p estimated time 3 hours (with Wi-Fi off)
- Wireless Charging built-in
- ARM Dual core processor
- Availability: February 2016
- Price: $400 ($250 if pre-ordered before September 1st)
While it can be charged through Micro-USB, there is also an accessory available to charge it wirelessly, and it works with both major wireless charging standards. This Micro-USB port can also be used for attaching external batteries (since the internal battery lasts only 3 hours without WiFi on). Of course, if you're using this as a nanny cam or security cam, you'd want it plugged in permanently.
The Graava has more than just an interesting name, it's got a pretty interesting premise: take all of the thinking out of making a cool video to show to people. Whether or not this will really work that well in practice remains to be seen, but we're absolutely going to see more and more devices that try to minimize the effort it takes to produce something at least watchable. It may be some time before these systems can get really good, but it's clear that networked computers are capable of some amazing things, and there's no reason they can't learn what might make a series of images interesting by viewing thousands upon thousands of hours of flagged clips. Computers are going to get better at figuring out what we like to see, and for the average person, that means it won't matter how much video is shot — there's a system in place for later that will help them figure out what they like, and what other people will want to see.
You can pre-order Graava right now for $250, but after that period the pre-order price will go up to $400. The camera should be shipping sometime in 2016, and if you pre-order right now, you're looking at February.
Source: Graava
