May 24 2013
Aqueti, a new company commercializing gigapixel photographic technology developed at Duke University, announced today that it will utilize the popular Kickstarter fundraising site to introduce Aware, the world’s first gigapixel digital camera. The campaign will run May 20 – June 19, 2013, with a goal of raising at least $25,000 to tour the camera around North Carolina for three weeks.
“Aqueti’s launch efforts focus on helping our community experience what is truly revolutionary about the Aware camera,” said Dr. David Brady, CEO of Aqueti. “Most surprising is how it changes the relationship between the photo and its viewer, with endless options of unique perspectives and instant access to so much more than the eye can capture alone.”
About the Aware Camera
Aqueti is changing the concept of a panoramic camera, capturing a single moment instantly with 10 times the detail of 20/20 vision. Aware cameras are made up of hundreds of small cameras that capture images with one large glass ball lens. High-speed electronics stitch the images together, resulting in one image with over 1 billion pixels (1 gigapixel), about 40 times bigger than SLR images and 125 times bigger than a cell phone image.
“Aqueti is returning what Henri Cartier-Bresson called the ‘decisive moment’ to gigapixel photography,” said Greg Downing, co-founder of creative images company XRez Studio. “This advancement will allow us, for the first time, to combine life's fleeting moments with the extreme detail of gigapixel photography, significantly impacting what we use gigapixel photography for.”
About the Kickstarter Campaign
Aqueti has chosen the Kickstarter community to help it raise funds to take the Aware camera on the road and capture its first collection of panoramic moments. The tour will consist of three regions across North Carolina, from the mountains of Asheville to the Piedmont in Durham and the ocean near Wilmington. At each region, the company will host a technology demonstration to allow enthusiasts to experience the camera hands-on, and will have multiple photo shoots throughout each region.
Backers of the trip will have a wide choice of gifts for their support, ranging from t-shirts to private receptions and prints, as well as exclusive access to all images made during the tour. Three galas will be held at the tour’s end, hosting the trip’s print images in the first-ever panoramic exhibition of Aware2 photographs, and premiering a video made during the tour.