Matterport alternative in 2023

Iris360 is a 360 camera with eight lenses with Sony sensors and captures 8K resolution.  It appears to have no relation to the identically named camera from NCTech.  Here’s the product video:

The camera features a very unusual design that has two rows of four lenses each.  I saw a camera like it a couple of years ago at CES, but I don’t know if it’s the same one.   According to their representative, the camera uses the photos from both sets of lenses for photogrammetry using AI.

The iris360 camera cannot create 360 videos per se, but can add video elements to a virtual tour, such as a talking host.

Because the iris360 can generate 3D data, it can create virtual tours with Matterport-like elements such as the zooming effect, dollhouse view, and floorplan.  According to their representative, you upload the photos to their cloud service, which can generate a 3D tour in 1 hour.  Here are some sample virtual tours:

As for the image quality, it is reasonably detailed (please allow the tour to load completely to see the full resolution), with somewhat similar detail to Theta X (reviewed here) or Trisio (reviewed here).  However, the image quality is not as detailed as a Matterport Pro 2 which has a similar price.  It also appears to have limited dynamic range, with blown out skies.

The iris360 is $2550 (with the launch discount) but other than the camera size and number of lenses, there are no specs shown yet on the website.   In addition to the cost of the camera, it requires a monthly plan that starts out at $40 per month for up to 20 “active spaces” (not sure if that means rooms or entire tours) up to $150 per month for up to 250 active spaces.  “All photos and 360 can be download, exported, altered and then resubmitted back into the tour,” said their representative.

If you have any questions, please post them in the comments below.