Authydra
The first prize winner for Most Innovative is a plugin for VFX professionals who need to capture lighting information on-site. THETA is already widely used for capturing lighting information, but Authydra makes the process automatic and extremely simple, using OpenCV HDR libraries inside the camera to create the EXR file.
Press the shutter button once. Authydra first takes 1 auto exposed picture to determine basic exposure settings. Based on that it sets the lowest ISO setting and then starts taking pictures. It takes eleven 360 degree photos that are automatically merged into one EXR file ready to be use in Nuke, Maya and more. The user can choose the number of pictures taken on each exposure to reduce noise and exposure difference between each bracket.
