James Cameron Aids NASA on 3D Camera for Mars

Why are we talking about news articles from January? In fact I can almost swear you posted one about this already back then.

Hmmmm.....3D for a new movie maybe?

Nice. Perhaps the 3-D camera would aid in navigation and identification of objects as well.

When does it say that this news was from January?

dont you love Cameron for his joy and excitement for science

I'm just wondering how much he'll charge for this.

LOL does this mean we will be seeing little green men in 3D now?

Cool. NASA should be using decent cameras. Only if NASA would actually do something interesting, it has been a long time...

But screw you Cameron. Sherlock Holmes was better, so was The Nightmare on Elms Street, Iron Man 2. I even enjoyed Hot Tub Time Machine more than Avatar.

Hope the lander don't crash.

Why is "Aids" in the title capitalized?

I did enjoy the 3D technology in Avatar, it was... "refreshing". Can't say the same for everything else about the movie, though

Anyway, I would REALLY like to know how can Mr. Cameron "Aid" NASA's scientists with a 3D camera; is he an engineer? I wouldn't think that being a (good) movie director would be of much use for space travel, planet landing and so on.
Maybe he is just financing them

...or maybe it is true what they say about NASA and the moon landing, that everything was staged, and they need a good director for the "First man on Mars" movie!

I watched Cameron's TED talk. This guy has had an awesome life. I'm jealous

Very good for Cameron. I'm sure his research will pay off in the next avatar movie, which I can't wait for! On a side note... I wonder how much money he lobbied towards NASA...

We want some sound from Mars too!
I mean, it has some kind of atmosphere, so there must be some kind of sound there too.. So except from the 3D cameras, buy a 0.5$ microphone and implement it...

3D is all well and good but personally i prefer HD. with 3D i find myself missing detail half the time because I cannot focus on it as quickly with moving images like at teh cinema.

Have seen avatar in both 2d and 3d on the big screen and prefer 2d personally.
It's all just hype for the 3d band wagon. give it a year and nobody wll care.

Because you capitalize all non-trivial words in titles. That is how the English language works.
- An Englishman.

Forget Mars this camera should go to TITAN

Cameron seems like a smart guy no doubt, but unless theres something I've missed whereby he designs camera technology himself, what is his role in this process again? He's just a movie director right? I assume all his lobbying and pioneering in the film industry to have *other* companies make these cameras is what his role is. So he's just flexing his media muscle to get NASA off it's but and do something interesting too. Hey, if people actually listen to him so be it, give us 3d cameras on the next mars rover!

I have pretty similar feelings about the way this story has been reported pretty much everywhere it has been reported.

Perhaps he got some experience with how orienting the cameras affects the overall feeling of the 3d image?

Actually, Cameron helped design the Fusion Camera System, which was used for the 3D in Avatar. So yeah, that's his role in the process.

old news.....

if you like the sound of wind, then that's what you'll get from a mike on Mars. Not too strong, though, the atmosphere is not so dense.
Would love to see a 3-D documentary movie based on these recordings.

3D enhances the multimedia experience i say ,true,

Because, even though you have a good idea how a technology works (as I'm sure the NASA engineers do), it's never a bad idea to get additional information from people who also have experience with the technology. It's just good engineering practice to do so, the best information you can get is from the people who have extensively used a device, particularly because they know the device's weaknesses and what can go wrong (a pretty big deal when the nearest repair shop will be 40-250 million miles away). I'm pretty sure he's not actually 'helping to build' in the literal sense, more likely he's acting in an advisory role.

besides connecting the public more with the cause...

...sometimes seeing something in 3D instead of 2D you see things you hadn't before due to the lack of depth...

Doesn't NASA have anything more pressing for their limited budget than playing into the current "buzzword" of 3D? When the next fad hits, will they jump on that bandwagon too?

Seriously, this makes me think their budget wasn't slashed enough...

Wow even NASA is caught up in the 3D thing...

They should send Avatar suite too

Actuly, Cameron has done many , projects over the years, for nasa, there was a documentry, not so long ago, on some very real ideas, and models he created to aid, some for thought on what would be needed, to do a mars landing, although he does not hold a title of an engineer, he is no doubt self taught, as he like many directors, continue to break visual and bring new concepts into the movies the create..... my thoughts anyway....

My only thing is if they were to consider a 3-D cam, to send with the new rover, i would guess the big question would be the power consuption, perhasps, this where his know how is going to be used....?

Imagine the people at NASA looking at the footage with there 3D glasses going"AH OH WOW".

Yes! You are right. When the movie is in 2D the director (the camera, the cameraman) decides what you should focus your eyes on. In a 3D movies you have to do it yourself. Your eyesight constantly seeks for the most important details in the scene. It burdens the eys sight, your nerve system and you get tired, headaches and loose focus and details.

When you walk in the real world (it is in full, real 3D world) you don't seek constantly for details. It's fine. But try hunting, spotting the enemy (if you are soldier on reconnaissance mission) - that's tiresome. The same happens when you watch a 3D movie IMO.