Matterport Axis Will Help Democratize the Creation and Use of Digital Twins

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Matterport Media Release
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WGAN Forum Podcast #55 | Matterport: Axis, a New Hands-Free Motor Mount for Precision 3D Capture

[b]Matterport Axis | Source: Matterport

Matterport Axis | Source: Matterport

Matterport Axis | Source: Matterport

Video: Matterport Axis - Motorized Mount for 3D Scanning | Hands On Overview | Video courtesy of Adorama | Tuesday, 8 February 2022

Video: Pivo Real Estate - The Essential Tool for Amazing Marketing Videos and 3D Tours | Video courtesy of GetPivo YouTube Channel | 22 June 2021

Video: How to Shoot a Perfect 3D Tour with an Asteroom 3D Tour Kit | Video courtesy of Asteroom YouTube Channel | 18 January 2022

Nodalview Tutorial: How to set up gear to take high quality photos | Video courtesy of Nodalview | 25 August 2021

Matterport Axis Will Help Democratize the Creation and Use of Digital Twins

Commentary and Analysis by

Dan Smigrod
Founder and Managing Editor
We Get Around Network Forum and WGAN-TV Live at 5

Hi All,

Does the Matterport announcement today (8 February 2022) of the Matterport Axis rotator for Android and iOS smartphones mean the end of the world for Matterport Service Providers?

In a word, no.

The Matterport Axis will help democratize the creation and use of digital twins. As a result, the Matterport Axis will create more business for Matterport Service Providers as the interest, awareness and use of Matterport digital twins increases.

Likely more than half of all real estate agents engage a professional real estate photographer to shoot real estate photos and a smaller percentage - likely 5 to 15 percent - also engage a real estate photographer to shoot a 3D or 360 virtual tour (as an Add On).

While some real estate agents will opt for the Do It Yourself (DIY) virtual tours with Matterport Axis (or other platforms (videos above) that offer rotators (such as Asteroom, Nodalview, Pivo Real Estate), the more real estate listings that include a 3D or 360 virtual tour, the more awareness by home sellers to ask their prospective real estate listing agent if their marketing plan for their home includes a virtual tour. (The real estate agent will need to say “yes” to win the listing and many of these real agents will want to engage a Pro.)

Will new real estate photographers buy a Matterport Pro2 3D Camera or one of the 360 cameras, such as Ricoh Theta Z1, Ricoh Theta Z1 51GB (and soon the Ricoh Theta X) or Insta360 ONE X2 to shoot/scan Matterport digital twins?

In two words, it depends.

I could imagine that the Matterport Axis provides an on-ramp to getting started with Matterport. That said, if you make a living based on your time, then the time of the rotation will matter to real estate photographer professionals whom will then begin exploring 1-click 360 cameras or Matterport Pro2 3D Camera.

Which Matterport camera solution is right for you?

It will depend on if the use case needs scan data (then Matterport Pro2 3D Camera) and if only for residential real estate, then likely a 360 1-click camera.

For seasoned Matterport Service Providers – who have watched a race-to-the-bottom in residential real estate virtual tour pricing, I could imagine seriously considering Matterport + Leica BLK360 Camera/Scanner pairing. That said, at $19,000+ for the BLK360, I could imagine many will wait to see if my prediction (on January 31, 2022) for 2022 comes true: Why Matterport will Build and Sell a Leica BLK360 Clone for Less Than $7,500.

As I wrote - in part - nine months ago in the We Get Around Network Forum in a post titled:

==>Matterport Capture App + Tripod + Rotator + Capture Automation: Up Next?

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Missing from today's (4 May 2020) launch of Matterport Capture App paired (just) with an iPhone (or iPad) is was the use of a tripod plus rotator and automation applied to the Capture process (as Matterport does now with the rotation of the Matterport Pro2 3D Camera).

I could imagine that's coming soon.

Why?

As GeoCV, Nodalview, theVRkit and other examples demonstrate, it's actually possible to create an equality to or better quality 360 photo sphere than with the present generation of 360 1-click cameras (such as the Ricoh Theta Z1, Ricoh Theta V and Insta360 One X).

While the workflow of capture with a rotator takes longer than a 360º 1-click camera, for those just starting out with Matterport - that do not want to invest in a 360º camera (or Matterport Pro2 3D Camera), the Matterport Capture App + Tripod + Rotator + Capture Automation is both:

✓ a cost effective solution (versus a Matterport Pro2 3D Camera)
✓ a good or better quality option (versus the present generation of Matterport compatible 360º 1-click cameras) (See Three 360º Cameras Matterport Should Integrate with Matterport Capture App | 25 Sept. 2019)

So, why no mention of the Matterport Capture App + Tripod + Rotator + Capture Automation on the Matterport website or in the eBlast today (4 May 2020) from Matterport CEO RJ Pittman? If you knew that this solution was coming, would you buy a Matterport Pro2 3D Camera?

...

Matterport CEO RJ Pittman writes in an eBlast today (4 May 2020):

"The [Matterport] Pro2 [3D] Camera is the gold standard for 3D capture with exceptional dimensional accuracy and stunning image quality for all types of spaces, from small to very large. 360 cameras are perfect for capturing smaller spaces where the highest accuracy isn't required. Matterport for iPhone is a great choice to scan a room, or a small space, with just the phone in your pocket."

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So today’s (8 February 2022) Matterport Axis news does not surprise me. It was nine months in coming. And, it’s news that Matterport Service Providers should embrace.

Take a deep breath. The world is not ending: it’s expanding for Matterport Service Providers.

Here are some We Get Around Network Forum Member thoughts:

Quote:

Originally Posted by @Expertise
Not sure how I feel about this.

They seem to be going harder and harder towards "cutting out the middle man" and getting end users as their customers. In this case "the middle man" is me, someone who has given them over $10k for hardware and roughly $30k in processing/hosting fees over the years.

So... why keep undermining your biggest revenue sources? Makes no sense to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by @ron0987
I like the look the setup, the pricing for 5 models is remarkable.

All that said along with @Expertise where does that leave me. Like others I have been on board with MP for good and bad and have not seen much movement to help the MP services providers or increase the pro value camera services to make us standout.

Like Nikon, Canon or Sony you can buy a base model camera that works for a few hundred dollars or for the pros you can buy a camera for several thousand. But with them I have confidence they are developing on all levels.

I don't get that same feeling from MP, I still don't feel MP is working that angle and does not have a good reputation for the Pro market.

I am reluctant to buy a newer Pro serious camera as it stands today. I still wish MP would have more of a once a year users conference so we could talk with the express our concerns and kinda get an idea where they are headed as a company.

I do understand the philosophy of wanting to be the biggest and best. I always feel that it is somewhat of a two way street when it it comes to the pro series service providers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by @BrokerBruce
I understand that Matterport does much more than residential real estate tours.

But as a Realtor® here in Hampton Roads with the pace of our sales and a .8 months supply of available listings there is no time to hire out a tour. By the time you'd hire someone & get the tour back and into your listing it's under contract.

That's one reason I started to shoot my own, originally with Matterport and now using Inside Maps. Matterport will still have a place in shooting large commercial spaces and insurance claims and the like.

Quote:

Originally Posted by @ArchimedStudio
Hey Dan,

Initial thoughts (I just discovered this product 10 minutes ago):
Who is this product targeted at? Non-professionals is my wild guess. But if so, why would you bother using this setup and not just use your phone and spin around? To get a semi-pro result? Then why not use a Z1 if your goal is to make a quick but clean tour?
If you have a team, are you going to buy/upgrade phones in order for the team to use the Axis, or just go ahead and buy a Z1 and a tripod.

Can you order a Matterpak with a Space scanned with a phone + Axis? If so, here's a big plus compared to the Z1.

Please feel free to chime in, I might totally be overlooking some very cool features!

Matt

Quote:

Originally Posted by @MeshImages
If you think of the next iPhone generation coming with a plus 40 Megapixel camera and maybe an improved lidar, this could be a revolutionary product. But I think it is not.

Does it use the lidar from the iPhone Pro? I don´t think so.

And the overall construction does not look very stable. You will have problems with the image quality. No HDR, no low light.

Quote:

Originally Posted by @jlhouedanou
It's a good way to get started with matterport, although it has a glaring flaw : the whole process of tilting the axis is time consuming .

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What do you think? Will Matterport Axis rotator - paired with a smartphone - democratize the creation and use of digital twins?

Join the discussion in the We Get Around Network Forum (www.WGANForum.com).

3 years ago

281	281 BrokerBruce private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 3
	I understand that Matterport does much more than residential real estate tours. But as a Realtor® here in Hampton Roads with the pace of our sales and a .8 months supply of available listings there is no time to hire out a tour. By the time you'd hire someone & get the tour back and into your listing it's under contract. That's one reason I started to shoot my own, originally with Matterport and now using Inside Maps. Matterport will still have a place in shooting large commercial spaces and insurance claims and the like.
	3 years ago	Post 2 • IP flag post

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