PFU (EMEA) today announced the launch of the RICOH 360 Meeting Hub, which boasts a 3-in-1 video camera, speaker and microphone. RICOH 360 Meeting Hub delivers a panoramic 360-degree view to allow whole groups to be displayed simultaneously so no one appears distant.
PFU says it helps remote attendees feel engaged and more confident about participating. Even if participants are standing or moving around, omni-directional microphones pick-up all speakers’ voices to a six-metre radius.
The RICOH 360 Meeting Hub is plugged into a laptop with no need to configure multiple devices. The camera identifies up to eight active participants in the meeting for visual auto-focus and highlights the three most recent speakers in larger frames so that remote attendees can easily see who is speaking.
A touch sensor on the unit allows switching between screen layout options to accommodate various meeting scenarios. Participants can choose from 360-degree panoramic or split-screen 180-degree views, to display both sides of a meeting table. Up to four layout options are available with manually selected main speaker image highlighted or with other speakers in sidebar.
The RICOH 360 Meeting Hub can be positioned on any flat surface and mounted on a tripod for stand-up meetings on a factory floor, trade show booth, or event site. PFU says acoustic echo cancellation and noise reduction ensure that all participants can be heard clearly even in places with background noise.
Hiroaki Kashiwagi, president, and CEO of PFU (EMEA), said: “Supporting remote workers is a non-negotiable in today’s flexible work environment. Why should those who dial in feel less included in a meeting than other participants?”
He added: “Our new RICOH 360 Meeting Hub helps combat this feeling by creating an immersive experience so that individuals interacting with a group see and hear everyone as clearly as if they were with them in person. This can be a real game changer for reaching meeting attendees and audiences who experience disengagement as remote participants.”
