Wearable cameras aim to change how sports, entertainment are viewed

Earlier this year, French basketball player Victor Venbanmiama, widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, posted a video on social media. Titled “My POV – How I See the Basketball Court,” the video doesn’t feature anything special.

It zooms in on Wembanyama’s 7ft 2in frame, holding his phone, recording himself dribbling, shooting, and throwing your sense of proportion out the window, with spidery hands that grip a basketball as easily as most people take one apple. In short, he showed some of the skills that have made him one of the top prospects in years.

But then with over 2 million views on Tik Tok alone, it’s clear that people are curious about seeing things from an athlete’s point of view, especially one with both size and skill.

Enter Ucam, the unique wearable camera Coming this April from MOORvisiona company founded in 2021 by two basketball fans with dreams and imaginations to turn them into reality.

According to a MOORvision press release, Ucam is a wearable camera “designed to non-intrusively integrate into art, sport, fashion and cultural spaces, with the aim of breaking down the fourth wall of media”. The lightweight device (weighing 1.3 ounces) is made of two parts that can be seamlessly and innocuously snapped onto any garment—the camera is on the front, interlocking with a magnetic component under the wearer’s clothing.

Ucam is operated by a mobile app that allows you to capture, edit and upload videos, and even has a live-streaming feature that allows users to “connect with fans and followers in real time…recording for free.” Videos like Wembanyama will show how immersive it really is perspective, not to mention allowing athletes and performers to move freely without having to lift recording equipment in the process. Each Ucam also features 90 minutes of battery life and offers multiple HD video recording options.

The idea for Ucam was actually born in 2016, when LeBron James successfully led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA championship. James managed to catch up to Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala in a close game in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, and his chasing block wiped out an onslaught. basket try. The moment became known as “The Block,” forever establishing it as part of sports legend.

Five years later, James’ iconic play became the inspiration for Alikhan Ibragimov, a student at the Los Angeles Film Academy. “What an iconic moment,” Ibragimov thought as he watched the highlights. “I wonder what it’s like for LeBron … how can I experience [James] at that moment? “

Ibragimov immediately hooked up with Rashan Allen, a New York native who had been living in Los Angeles as a screenwriter. The two met at film school and quickly “bonded over their passions for storytelling, basketball and classic movies.” When Ibrahimov reached out to Allen to describe his joy watching James, their shared thought was, What if we could put a camera on our jersey?

The two have already begun working together on a full-length feature film. After the launch, they turned their attention to their first technology project, a streaming service for independent filmmakers called “The DBO” (or Digital Box Office). But their energies have since been devoted to the production of Ucam, which, according to MOORvision’s founders, aims to “change the way we experience and capture life’s most memorable moments”.

First-round pre-seed funding secured from prominent athletes, entrepreneurs and celebrities including Metta World Peace, Imani McGee-Stafford and Greg Kristof.Allen and Ibragimov also featured on PlayersTV’s front deskA shark tank-Style series where start-ups meet former or current athletes as potential investors.In the case of MOORvision, the founding partner Meet former NBA All-Star Deron Williams Tell him about the future of Ucam.

Ultimately, Williams passed up the opportunity. While disappointed with this decision, MOORvision continues to work and after securing additional funding, Ucam will be ready for a full launch in April.

One of Ucam’s investors, World Peace, said of the product: “What I love about Ucam is that you can easily embed the camera into the jersey, which can provide a different and unique perspective and also help the wearer capture additional The stats help improve their form and play. “

While the Ucam has some traction in the sports industry—indeed, early testing and marketing included a partnership with the AAU basketball team—MOORvision’s founders see multiple uses for the device, including personal safety. “While the idea was born in sports, Ucam could take entertainment, education, security, and other areas to the next level,” Ibragimov said.

“Growing up, my mom would always drop me off at the deli across the street for dinner, and we lived in the safest neighborhood, so most nights I couldn’t go out,” Allen added. “But if my mom had a camera for me, I could discreetly put my hoodie on when I left, [one] To have her with me every step of the way just by live streaming my opinion? I know, if nothing else, that’s one thing I’m proud of, what we’ll be doing with our Ucam technology in underserved communities around the world. “

As content creators find new and creative ways to provide visual insight into their craft, and as athletes expand their social media platforms to continue building their brands, it’s this versatility that makes Ucam a wearable A unique addition to the camera market. “Our goal is for our vision to help advance yours,” says Ibragimov.