Sphere founder Charles Armstrong talks teleportation and the Smart Social Camera

Following the recent addition of the brilliant Sphere 360 degree photography app to our Smart Social Camera ecosystem, we caught up with Sphere’s founder and CEO Charles Armstrong to ask him a few quick questions about Sphere and its relationship with Xperia Z1.

Can you describe Sphere in a sentence?

As a publishing platform, Sphere provides the apps and technology to record and share beautiful, spherical imagery.

How did Sphere come about?

Sphere was born from a drive to make teleportation a reality.

What was the “eureka moment” / when did you suddenly know you were onto a winner?

Augmented reality is a compelling experience, but it’s one that’s only valuable when you’re on location. We wanted to deliver something just as immersive for people who aren’t there. Whether for personal entertainment or for business purposes, the ability to “get there before you go” is a very powerful experience.

What was it like working on Xperia Z1? (in terms of challenges / areas your were impressed etc…)

The Sony team was really easy to work with. And because Sony focuses on better optics and more reliable motion sensors, tailoring for the Z1 has really highlighted the best of what our technology has to offer.

Can you tell us anything about your plans for the future of Sphere?

Sorry. Mum’s the word.

What’s your favourite Sphere ever taken?

That’s really tough! I recorded one of my wife, daughter, and I hanging out at a park on the San Francisco Bay. Being able to relive the experience definitely ranks among my favorites.

What do you think apps like Sphere mean for the future of the camera phone?

Sphere demonstrates how much potential remains. As our cameras continue to get smarter, our abilities to capture moments will also mature. Traditional photo and video are really more like summaries of moments. We’ll soon be preserving much more than just summaries.