Every nine weeks, the Nokia Maps in Berlin team sit down for a weekly workshop to try to think of new ideas; a “think outside of the box” session. It’s here that some of the best ideas emerge, and lots of unusual ones, too.
Julie Grienenberger, a UX Design Intern at Nokia tells us that during one of these workshops they decided to do something fun to show off the amazing PureView technology. They would send a Nokia 808 PureView high into the sky attached to a helium balloon and a 200-meter kite string.
They would need a container for the smartphone, so using an old box, tape and some cable ties, they positioned the Nokia 808 PureView into the box, with the camera facing out of a hole.
The team decided there would be two tasks for this project. The first was to take a series of photos, and the second would be to use the video camera to record Berlin from above.
“The inflated helium-filled balloon wouldn’t fit in the car, so we walked to Museum Island from Nokia House. We got some odd looks.”
After filling the balloon with the helium, they released the Nokia 808 PureView into the sky at the Museum Island in Berlin.
Rooftop of Nokia House
“It was hot and windy. The last thing we wanted was to lose the Nokia 808 PureView on someone’s roof. We had to find a place which is high enough not to crash into the tram cables… and we wanted to have a view of the office from the air.”
Taking the Nokia 808 PureView to the roof of Nokia House in Berlin, the phone was once again lifted to the skies by the balloon. This time, the phone was set to record video at 1080p.
Due to the high winds, the phone experienced a large amount of turbulence. However, there is a small section of the video that shows a great scene of Berlin. Thanks to the high quality of the video, it was possible to get screenshots that are not blur, even with this huge wind… and here is the best picture captured in this video:
Click through for a larger image.
This is a great example of what you can do with commonly available items. A box, a balloon, a helium bottle and a smartphone. Obviously, we wouldn’t recommend doing this yourself, but it’s possible at very little cost.
Have you tried anything like this before? We’d like to hear about it. As usual, use the comments below to join in the conversation.
