Abstract: A scanning camera with a rotating drum has one or more sensors characterized by a non-radial optical axis. With two sensors on opposite sides of the drum and facing in substantially the same direction, stereoscopic recording of a panorama is accomplished as the drum rotates. The adjustment of convergence between stereoscopic viewpoints is described that improves the viewing and interpretation of stereoscopic images. Rapid rotation of the scanning camera produces panoramic motion picture recording, with the final frame speed dependent on the sensitivity and speed of the sensor, the resolution desired, and the capabilities of the recording device. The preferred embodiment employs rotating fisheye lenses for a substantially full-sphere field of view. Additional sensors in the same arrangement are used to increase resolution and light sensitivity through multiplexed or additive recording of the image data.

Abstract: Improvements in the production means for dodecahedral imaging are described, to define a simple, flexible and efficient strategy for the creation of extremely wide images. Improvements in production technology include lenses and optical mounts that enable automatic alignment of film and video cameras and other imaging devices to cover multiple fields of view equal to one, two or three dodecahedral pentagons. Three double-pentagon formats, X, P and O, are described in detail, the X format producing an even hemispherical division and a full spherical view, and the P format producing simplified coverage of most of a sphere and ease of use for stereoscopic effects, and the O based on the combination of the dodecahedron and the octahedron. A triple-pentagon T format based on the use of the tetrahedron is also described, along with crisscross optics and temporal offset mounts to minimize parallax differences between the separate camera views.