photoxelsTotal prize amount will be five million JP YEN (44,858.9500 US Dollar at the current exchange rate).
- Number of prizes: Nine plus the number of Honorable mentions.
The following video presents 【RICOH THETA S】Concept movie:
【RICOH THETA S, the high-spec RICOH THETA model】
RICOH THETA is the world’s first ultra-small camera that takes spherical images with two lenses. Capture the entire world around your RICOH THETA with a simple push of the shutter, and share easily on social networking service
Ricoh recently announced the second annual developers contest soliciting applications for apps and gadgets that utilize the RICOH THETA / RICOH THETA（m15) / RICOH THETA S camera, which can take 360-degree, fully spherical images or videos in one capture.
Held as part of Ricoh’s 80th anniversary celebration, this year’s contest challenges developers to create innovative apps and gadgets that work in conjunction with RICOH THETA, including those that allow the use of RICOH THETA in a cloud-based environment as enabled by the new IoT platform.
- Registration: April 1 through August 10.
- Those registered have until August 31 to submit their final apps and gadgets.
- Applicants will get early access to the new platform, which is optimized for cloud-based applications leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT).
In this age of the IoT where many objects are connected to cloud, the value of making data and API “open” has been increasing steadily. Open environment also helps drive innovation…Globally, there is a trend to adopt open API to enable the control of products from outside, however, such trend is still small in Japanese market. In this contest, an early bird access to cloud API for RICOH THETA will be available to the contestants. So I look forward to seeing the contest receive submissions that mash up things and the camera with novel IoT ideas.
Dr. Ken Sakamura, chair judge of this contest and Professor of Interfaculty of Initiative in Information Studies at University of Tokyo “
Prizes
Winners of the contest will receive a trip to Tokyo, Japan for awards ceremony and one million yen is given to the First Prize winner.
- First prize: ONE million JP YEN (8,972.6700 US Dollar at the current exchange rate) for one entry.
- Section prize: 500, 000 JP YEN (44,86.5200 US Dollar at the current exchange rate) for three entries.
- The 80th Anniversary special prizes: 300,000 JP YEN (2,691.9120 US Dollar at the current exchange rate) for five entries.
- Honorable mention: 100,000 JP YEN (897.2670 US Dollar at the current exchange rate) for as many entries as the judges see fit.
Number of prizes: Nine plus the number of Honorable mentions, and the total prize amount will be five million JP YEN (44,858.9500 US Dollar at the current exchange rate).
Eligibility
- Any number of entries can be applied by any party (individuals, groups and corporations). There is no restriction on nationality, age, resident area, etc.
- Minor applicants shall obtain the permission of guardian.
- Expenses for establishing the development environment and execution environment of entries, for obtaining RICOH THETA and its ancillary expenses, and for applying to the contest such as network provider subscription fees and communication expenses shall all be borne by applicants.
Entry
Contest Entry period: Friday, April 1, 2016 – Wednesday, August 10, 2016
- Use the entry form and application form on the RICOH THETA x IoT Developers Contest website（http://contest.theta360.com) to register yourself as contestant and send applications.
- Entries made later than Wednesday, August 10 will not be eligible for sending gadgets or applications later.
Submission of Contest Work
- Deadline for the Submission of Contest Work: Wednesday, August 31, 2016.
- Send the contest submission via the application form at the RICOH THETA x IoT Developers Contest website.
- Send the set of the following documents and material by the work submission deadline.
Judging
Being innovative and fits with the age of the IoT.
Submissions will be judged comprehensively in light of the following points:
- Creativity (originality).
- Future outlook (potential, extensibility).
- Ease of use and practical value.
RICOH THETA’s ability to capture imagery from all directions with a single capture means that it is an ideal device for providing content to applications that benefit from the emerging IoT age, in which virtually all devices are connected.
…..The intellectual property rights of the entries, etc. are held by the applicants. However, the applicants shall grant the organizer and cosponsor a perpetual right to use (including announcing, reproducing, showing, publicly transmitting, distributing, etc.) entries and their names, the applicants’ names, etc. for publication, advertisement and announcement irrespective of tools and methods such as paper, broadcast and electronic media, etc. in Japan and overseas.
Applicants may publicize their application to the contest on their own website, SNS, etc. However, applicants shall not pretend that their entries were developed, authorized and recommended by Ricoh Company, Ltd., etc…..
Information such as the names (real names) and contact information such as e-mail address and telephone number provided by the applicants for the application will be used only for informing the applicants of the prize winning, announcing prize winning entries, and communicating about the entries
Organizer and cosponsor may use the names of entries, their names (real names or the pseudonyms the applicants have specified at the time of the contest entry), in paper, electronic and other publication medium for public relations, advertisement and announcement in Japan and overseas…..
Applicants shall agree that their submissions will not be returned to them.
For more important info and to read the complete Application Rules, please visit http://contest.theta360.com/index-en.html .
For general inquiries, please contact the Secretariat:
Attn: Secretariat for RICOH THETA x IoT Developers Contest
YRP Ubiquitous Networking Laboratory
Daiichi Seijitsu Bldg. 9F, 2-12-3, Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 141-0031 Japan
E-mail: support@contest.theta360.com
Good Luck!
NEWS RELEASE
RICOH Announces “RICOH THETA × IoT Developers Contest”
Applicants Get Early Access to Ricoh’s New IoT Platform
TOKYO, March 31, 2016 – Ricoh today announced the second annual developers contest soliciting applications for apps and gadgets that utilize the RICOH THETA camera, which can take 360-degree, fully spherical images or videos in one capture. Registration will be open April 1 through August 10. Those registered have until August 31 to submit their final apps and gadgets. Applicants will get early access to the new platform, which is optimized for cloud-based applications leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT).
Held as part of Ricoh’s 80th anniversary celebration, this year’s contest challenges developers to create innovative apps and gadgets that work in conjunction with RICOH THETA, including those that allow the use of RICOH THETA in a cloud-based environment as enabled by the new IoT platform. Winners of the contest will receive a trip to Tokyo, Japan for awards ceremony and one million yen is given to the First Prize winner.
“In this age of the IoT where many objects are connected to cloud, the value of making data and API “open” has been increasing steadily. Open environment also helps drive innovation,” said Dr. Ken Sakamura, chair judge of this contest and Professor of Interfaculty of Initiative in Information Studies at University of Tokyo. “Globally, there is a trend to adopt open API to enable the control of products from outside, however, such trend is still small in Japanese market. In this contest, an early bird access to cloud API for RICOH THETA will be available to the contestants. So I look forward to seeing the contest receive submissions that mash up things and the camera with novel IoT ideas”.
RICOH THETA’s ability to capture imagery from all directions with a single capture means that it is an ideal device for providing content to applications that benefit from the emerging IoT age, in which virtually all devices are connected. The new IoT platform makes it possible for developers to efficiently and cost-effectively build cloud-based apps, which typically require significant expertise in cloud services and servers and a longer development time. Applicants get first access to the beta version of this platform and a cloud API, which will be released as a BaaS (Backend as a Service)*1 for RICOH THETA.
*1 BaaS (Backend as a Service) is a type of cloud computing that provides app developers with shared functions such as authentication and management of users and equipment, push notifications, and SNS linking through the internet. App developers can incorporate these functions easily through the use of cloud API (Application Programming Interface) and SDK (Software Development Kit).
Contest Overview
| Sponsor | Ricoh Company, Ltd. |
| Co-sponsor | YRP Ubiquitous Networking Laboratory |
| Cooperation | National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation DWANGO Co., Ltd. |
| Qualifications for application | Only those who meet the requirements for this contest may apply. Individuals, teams, or companies are eligible. No limitations exist on nationality, age, place of residence, etc. |
| Ricoh product used | RICOH THETA / RICOH THETA（m15) / RICOH THETA S |
| How to apply | Fill in the application form on the special website during the entry period and submit the work by the deadline for product submission. |
| Concept of application | •New IoT concept apps that integrate the RICOH THETA with the Internet, including sensors, data on the Web, etc. •Gadgets and apps linked with RICOH THETA |
| Applicants’ benefit | Cloud API beta version and 3D model data of RICOH THETA series *Cloud API will add its features sequentially. For details visit the contest website that is updated as needed. |
| Judging criteria | Innovative concept appropriate for IoT Entries will be judged comprehensively based on the points below: • Whether it is innovative (originality) • Whether it represents a vision (promise for the future, can be developed further) • Whether it would yield practical benefits |
| Judges | • Ken Sakamura, Professor of Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, the University of Tokyo • Atsushi Ozawa, Principal Investigator(Science Communication), National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), Japan • Ryotaro Muramatsu, CEO/Director, NAKED Inc. • Toshihiro Shimizu, Manager of Engineering and Communication Office, DWANGO Co., Ltd. • Shiro Kondo, Chairman of Ricoh |
| Awards | First Prize (one award): 1 million yen Second Prize (three awards): 500,000 yen 80th Anniversary Prize (five awards): 300,000 yen Honorable Mention (number of awards to be determined): 100,000 yen *Winners will be invited to the awards ceremony to be held in Tokyo and attend presentation of submitted works. |
| Schedule (Japan time) |
Entry period: April 1, 2016 (Fri) – August 10, 2016 (Wed) Deadline for work submission: August 31, 2016 (Wed) Awards ceremony: November 7, 2016 (Mon) |
| Detailed information | Contest overview, main points for submissions, submitted works, etc. RICOH THETA x IoT Developers Contest website http://contest.theta360.com/index-en.html |
| Inquiries | RICOH THETA x IoT Developers Contest Office YRP Ubiquitous Networking Laboratory email: support@contest.theta360.com |
| Remarks | For details see application rules. |
*The company names and product names described here are the trade names, trademarks or registered trademarks of each company.
About Ricoh
Ricoh is a global technology company that has been transforming the way people work for more than 80 years. Under its corporate tagline – imagine. change. – Ricoh continues to empower companies and individuals with services and technologies that inspire innovation, enhance sustainability and boost business growth. These include document management systems, IT services, production print solutions, digital cameras, and industrial systems.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in over 190 countries. In the financial year ending March 2015, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,231 billion yen (approx. 18.5 billion USD).
For further information, please visit www.ricoh.com
About YRP Ubiquitous Networking Laboratory (UNL)
UNL promotes research and development in ubiquitous computing and IoT (Internet of Things) technology, in which many objects in our surroundings are embedded with small computer nodes with sensors and actuators that communicate with each other and operate in a cooperative manner to offer sophisticated services to human users.
www.ubin.jp/en
About National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan)
Miraikan (The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) highlights cutting-edge science and technology as “new knowledge and innovation” through various methods, such as permanent and special exhibitions, events, on the web. To arouse the interest of the general public, Miraikan is developing methods of expression and communication to present the information in an easy-to-understand manner.
http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/
*One of its official partners since October 2006, Ricoh is helping the next generation get acquainted with science and technology.
About DWANGO Co., Ltd.
DWANGO Co., Ltd., is an entertainment company striving to create the next generation of network communication throughout various genres such as gaming and music.
Our products include online and packaged games, music services for mobile, and “niconico douga”— a service that has over 50 million registered users and is one of Japan’s largest video sites.
http://dwango.co.jp/english/
*niconico douga is a registered trademark of the DWANGO Co., Ltd.
News Release in PDF Format
About Ricoh
Ricoh is a global technology company that has been transforming the way people work for more than 80 years. Under its corporate tagline – imagine. change. – Ricoh continues to empower companies and individuals with services and technologies that inspire innovation, enhance sustainability and boost business growth. These include document management systems, IT services, production print solutions, digital cameras, and industrial systems.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in over 190 countries. In the financial year ending March 2015, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,231 billion yen (approx. 18.5 billion USD).
For further information, please visit www.ricoh.com
The following video presents Theta S and Drone:
You can buy the Ricoh Theta camera at B&H:
