New software allows GoPro Fusion to capture Google Street View

By Hillary K. Grigonis February 6, 2019

GoPro Fusion review — Daven Mathies/Digital Trends

GoPro’s 360 camera can now capture shots for Google Street View. On Wednesday, February 6, virtual tour company Panoskin launched desktop software called Trailblazer that’s capable of converting GoPro Fusion footage into Google Street View.

The software uses the data from the Fusion’s embedded GPS to map footage to the appropriate space on Google Street View. The desktop software, which is available in beta form, converts footage in minutes, Panoskin says.

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Panoskin, a Chicago-based company, already developed software for publishing an interior 360 view of spaces on Google. The new software extends the company’s tools to the outdoors. The company says the software can be used for streets and neighborhoods as well as remote locations like trails, ski slopes, and waterways.

“Fusion is a leading 360 camera due to its super-stabilized footage, go-anywhere ruggedness, and ease of capture. It’s a must-have for anyone shooting 360,” Tom Chomiak, Panoskin CTO and creator of TrailBlazer, said in a press release. “Today, we are excited to add to this success by allowing GoPro Fusion users to update Google Street View. Using TrailBlazer, anyone with a GoPro Fusion can pave a path on Google Maps and share their experience with the world.”

The company says that the software, with the GoPro Fusion, allows users to map out areas with limited or no Street View, or for updating outdated images. Businesses can also use the software to update their information on Google Street View.

The beta version of the software is launching first to GoPro Fusion users. Panoskin says a full launch is expected sometime this summer.

Panoskin software is used by more than 9,000 photographers for Google Street View, now responsible for 1.5 million scenes in the 360-degree mapping system. Panoview is approved by Google for Street View, the only U.S.-based company to receive the approval.

The Fusion, announced in 2017, is the action camera giant’s first 360 camera. The camera stitches 360 video from two lenses using either a mobile or desktop app, along with integrating features like Overcapture to edit a 360 shot down to a standard aspect ratio. The latest firmware update, launched last month, boosts the camera’s resolution to a 5.6K.

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Hillary K. Grigonis

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…

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The firmware (which will be available by the end of October) introduces three new video performance modes designed to maximize the Hero 10’s performance in different scenarios. Maximum video performance mode prioritizes high resolution, frame rate, and image quality. Extended battery mode limits resolution and frame rate to maximize recording times and battery life, while tripod/stationary video mode provides high performance when the camera is stationary, and there isn’t any airflow to cool the camera.

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Marketing materials seen by WinFuture hint that Hero 10 Black’s in-camera software stabilization will see an improvement to offer "gimbal-like stabilization", after being upgraded to HyperSmooth 4.0 and TimeWarp 3.0 for time-lapse videos. Users can also enjoy an auto-upload function to transfer files online at a much quicker speed. The Hero 10 Black also supports 1080p live streaming, the same as previous models. Finally, the Hero 10 Black is said to offer 10 meters deep housing, touchscreen controls, and voice accessibility. Users can also access the webcam mode along with SuperPhoto and HDR options. These features combined with the improved recording capability have the potential to be a gamechanger for streamers and on-the-scene photographers.
The company hasn’t made a formal announcement so we don’t know how much the Hero 10 Black would cost. The previous edition, Hero 9 Black was released at $450 and is currently priced at $400 (excluding the subscription), so we can expect a number around this range, perhaps a bit higher. Given the scale of the recent leaks, the launch of the Hero 10 Black is likely to be imminent.