Lytro Branches Out from Photography, Offers Unprecedented Access to Their Tech for $20K
The folks at Lytro have always believed that light field technology is the future, and not just for photography and storytelling. They believe that anything with a lens and a sensor can benefit from the technology, and with today’s announcement of the Lytro Platform, they’re opening up their proprietary tech to anybody who wants to partner up with them and expand light field into new markets.
The goal of the Lytro Platform is to “bring the transformational power of the light field to an entirely new set of imaging applications for the first time,” and the first step is the release of the Lytro Development Kit (LDK).
The LDK, hardware illustrated above, costs $20K and “provides imaging researchers with the highest degree of control of Lytro’s advanced light field capture devices and processing engine.” In English, that means unprecedented access to Lytro’s hardware and software so that researchers in all fields can begin experimenting with the light field.
“With access to Lytro’s advanced light field capture devices and processing engine, a new wave of pioneers in holography, microscopy, architecture, security and many more imaging fields can reimagine and customize their products,” explains the press release. “For instance, customers could optimize a special lens for analyzing soil samples, or customize a thermal sensor to analyze individuals’ heat signatures.”
We’re not sure how much this will impact photography, or if any of the innovations that come about as part of the Lytro Platform will trickle back into the photo business, but we’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on the tech in the months and years to come.
In the meantime, if you want to find out more about the Lytro Platform or read up on what exactly $20K will buy you in the LDK, head over to the Lytro Platform website by clicking here.
