Ricoh Imaging Announces RICOH THETA × IoT Developers Contest

DENVER, March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation today announced the second annual developers contest soliciting applications for applications and gadgets that utilize the RICOH THETA camera, which can take 360-degree, fully spherical images and videos. Registration will be open April 1 through August 10. Those registered have until August 31 to submit their final apps and gadgets. Applicants will get early access to the new platform, which is optimized for cloud-based applications leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT).

Held as part of Ricoh's 80th anniversary celebration, this year's contest challenges developers to create innovative apps and gadgets that work in conjunction with RICOH THETA, including those that allow the use of RICOH THETA in a cloud-based environment as enabled by the new IoT platform. Winners of the contest will receive a trip to Tokyo, Japan, for the awards ceremony, and a substantial cash prize.

"In this age of IoT, where many objects are connected to the cloud, the value of making data and an API 'open' has been increasing steadily. Open environments also help drive innovation," said Dr. Ken Sakamura, chair judge of this contest and Professor of Interfaculty of Initiatives in Information Studies at University of Tokyo. "Globally, there is a trend to adopt open APIs to enable the control of products from outside a company. However, this trend is still small in the Japanese market. Through this contest, early bird access to the cloud-based API for RICOH THETA will be available to the contestants, so I look forward to seeing the contest receive submissions that mash up the camera with new apps, new gadgets and novel IoT ideas."

RICOH THETA's ability to capture imagery from all directions with a single capture means that it is an ideal device for providing content to applications that benefit from the emerging IoT age, in which virtually all devices are connected. The new IoT platform makes it possible for developers to efficiently and cost-effectively build cloud-based apps, which typically require significant expertise in cloud services and servers and a longer development time. Applicants get first access to the beta version of this platform and a cloud API, which will be released as a BaaS (Backend as a Service)*¹ for RICOH THETA. 

Register for the RICOH THETA × IoT Developers Contest starting April 1 here: http://contest.theta360.com/index-en.html

*¹ BaaS (Backend as a Service) is a type of cloud computing that provides app developers with shared functions such as authentication and management of users and equipment, push notifications, and SNS linking through the internet. App developers can incorporate these functions easily through the use of a cloud API (Application Programming Interface) and SDK (Software Development Kit).

| About Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation |

Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation is a subsidiary of Ricoh Company Ltd., a global technology company specializing in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in about 200 countries and regions.

The company now known as Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation was originally founded in 1919, under the name Asahi Optical Joint Stock Co. and launched its first SLR camera in the 1950s under the PENTAX name. Today, Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation continues to produce the heritage-rich, award-winning line of PENTAX DSLR cameras, lenses and sport optics equipment as well as Ricoh's offering of stylish and compact digital cameras, known for their wide-ranging, rich set of features.

For further information, please visit www.ricohimaging.com

| About YRP Ubiquitous Networking Laboratory (UNL) |

UNL promotes research and development in ubiquitous computing and IoT (Internet of Things) technology, in which many objects in our surroundings are embedded with small computer nodes with sensors and actuators that communicate with each other and operate in a cooperative manner to offer sophisticated services to human users. 

www.ubin.jp/en

| About National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) |

Miraikan (The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) highlights cutting-edge science and technology as "new knowledge and innovation" through various methods, such as permanent and special exhibitions, events, on the web. To arouse the interest of the general public, Miraikan is developing methods of expression and communication to present the information in an easy-to-understand manner.

http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/

*One of its official partners since October 2006, Ricoh is helping the next generation get acquainted with science and technology.

| About DWANGO Co., Ltd. |

DWANGO Co., Ltd., is an entertainment company striving to create the next generation of network communication throughout various genres such as gaming and music.

Our products include online and packaged games, music services for mobile, and "niconico douga"— a service that has over 50 million registered users and is one of Japan's largest video sites.
http://dwango.co.jp/english/

*niconico douga is a registered trademark of the DWANGO Co., Ltd.

© 2016 Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation. All rights reserved. All referenced product names are the trademarks of their respective companies.

For More Information, Contact:
Stephannie Depa
Breakaway Communications for Ricoh
(415) 358-2485
[email protected]

< Contest Overview >

*The company names and product names described here are the trade names, trademarks or registered trademarks of each company.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prn/20140718/128670 

SOURCE Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation