jaunt

Designed by: LUNAR / McKinsey Design and Jaunt
Media Credit: LUNAR / McKinsey Design and Jaunt
Project Involvement: From concept to production, 8 months 2014/2015

About

Jaunt ONE is the first professional grade camera system specifically designed for capturing high quality stereoscopic 360º cinematic virtual reality experiences.

Built from the ground up with visionary VR creators in mind, Jaunt ONE features 24 camera modules with frame-sync, global shutter, 10-stops of dynamic range, and custom 130º FOV lenses with a fixed f/2.9 aperture.

Challenge

When Jaunt came to LUNAR in 2014, our goal was set to manifest Jaunt and its brand in the industry as the go-to partner for high-quality VR through the design and engineering of an easily serviceable camera consisting of 24 camera modules to be launched within 8 months.

The brief for the aesthetics was founded on one word, make this camera as BADASS as you can.

Approach

After a visual conversation with the client about what bad-ass could look and feel like I led a brainstorm with 5 designers around bad-ass, VR and 360 degree semantics that allowed us to derive a set of design principles for our 4 design concepts.

Early on a high level of realism was incorporated, where I worked closely with LUNAR and Jaunt engineers to establish assembly and servicing concepts as well as the ergonomics of the handle and a rugged travelcase for the camera and its accessories.

The future is here

It was important that the camera have an “iconic design,” according to Arthur Van Hoff. “Because this camera’s going to be on stage with a lot of artists, and on the field [during sporting events]. It’s going to be very recognizable. Keep your eyes peeled. I think it’s going to be on TV [a lot] this year.” – Source: Fast Company 2015

In late 2018 Jaunt announced it was shifting its capabilities from VR to augmented reality and ‘cross reality’ or XR content and volumetric capture technology. The company moved forward under a new name Jaunt XR. Source: VR Focus

In late 2019 Jaunt XR was acquired by Verizon. Source: CNBC

Impact

“Demand for the Jaunt ONE has been unwavering since we introduced it to rental houses last summer [2016], ” Koji Gardiner, VP hardware engineering at Jaunt – Source: BusinessWire
2016 Fast Company – Jaunt one of 50 Most Innovative Companies
2017 CNBC – Jaunt Disruptor 50 Companies
2017 IF Design Award
Raised $100.2 million to date [2017]; investors include Disney, Evolution Media Partners, China Media Capital, and Sky – Source: VentureBeat

In addition to a great look, we wanted the user to feel comfortable handling the product. We outlined the complete journey of use and peripherals used when setting up Jaunt in the most extreme situations, like the Grand Canyon.

That path led to the design of a new Pelican case interior layout as well as a number of ergonomic design details, like the rubber-backed handle at the top of the unit.

Cable connections and mount points were designed on the bottom of the camera with professional tripod designs and drones in mind.

Innovative Architecture

Every second on a filmset counts, which is why the camera was developed to enable quick service and on-site maintenance by folding open in 4 quadrants.

The Fibonacci like casted metal fins provide airflow and protect the lenses when the camera is being carried on rough terrain. Each bespoke fin is actually a single casted part that is machined to fit its bespoke location on the camera architecture.

Jaunt One in the wild

From 2015 and onward the Jaunt One has been used for different productions for ABC News, the Northface, the Sundance Institute and in 2017 a mini-series developed by ‘The Bourne Identity’ Director Doug Liman called Invisible. The 5 episodes are still available on Youtube.

One of the best parts of keeping track of the Jaunt One over the years as it was rented out by Radiant Images is seeing its wondrous encounters on Instagram, from Mickey Mouse and Darth Vader to a Masai Warrior and a Cinco Da Maya dance group. Jaunt One often ended up in the most amazing environments or moments in time at music shows or sports events like the Madrid Open or the Super Bowl.

Below are some of these images shared about the #JauntOne

Team

Industrial Design—Terence Kwan, Charlie Nghiem, Marcelle van Beusekom
Brainstormers—Carlos Dominguez, Marie Noury, Ken Wood
Mechanical Engineering—Travis Lee, Andrew Zee
Project Management—Matt Peterson, Vijay Sekaran
Business Development—Jeff Salazar