BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Owl Labs, the first company to build 360-degree video conferencing solutions for hybrid organizations, leveling the playing field between remote and in-room participants, today announced the launch of the Whiteboard Owl™ camera device that enables everyone to see the whiteboard in meetings. With hybrid work becoming the norm accelerated by the pandemic, nearly every meeting will have both remote and in-office participants, and organizations around the globe are looking for solutions to ensure their office spaces accommodate everyone equally. Owl Labs research found that nearly 2/3 of remote workers (63%) say not being able to see the whiteboard is a challenge during hybrid meetings.
Designed by roboticists, the Whiteboard Owl device is a dedicated camera that adds any in-room whiteboard to video conferences, allowing remote participants to clearly see the whiteboard and ensuring everyone is part of the conversation. When paired with the Meeting OwlⓇ Pro, Owl Labs’ flagship product and the first 360-degree video camera device, the Whiteboard Owl is the most versatile remote whiteboard solution with flexible camera positioning options. The products can be mounted on a wall, ceiling or tripod and allow anyone to move freely throughout the room to share ideas and spark inspiration, without worrying about where the camera and whiteboard are located. Whiteboard Owl also enables remote meeting participants to easily see and capture images of the board, even when someone stands in front of it, so they never miss a thing.
The Whiteboard Owl camera works with any magnetic whiteboard, by placing Whiteboard Tags in two corners of the board and flipping them over to seamlessly toggle between views of the board and the meeting participants, resulting in an inclusive meeting experience for all. It is compatible with Zoom, Google Hangouts, Slack, BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams, and more popular video conferencing platforms.
Whiteboard Owl camera features include:
- Whiteboard Enhance - Proprietary technology that improves whiteboard visibility with increased clarity and shadow reduction.
- Speaker Transparency - AI and computer vision that makes the presenter transparent when they step in front of the whiteboard, so it is never blocked from view for remote participants.
- 360-degree views via Owl Labs ecosystem - Pairs with the Meeting Owl Pro to enable simultaneous viewing of the whiteboard and 360-degree views of the room.
- Whiteboard Capture - Automatically captures high-resolution whiteboard images in real time throughout the meeting, which attendees can view, download, and zoom in on from their web browser so collaboration can continue after the meeting.
- Flexible setup - The only product in the industry with multiple mounting options for different room layouts and automatic cropping based on whiteboard size. The device can be mounted on a wall, ceiling or a tripod within 7 to 16 feet of the whiteboard. At 16 feet, the Whiteboard Owl works with any magnetic whiteboard of up to 15 feet x 20 feet.
- WiFi-enabled updates - Software updates are automatically installed through a WiFi connection, so the Whiteboard Owl continues to get smarter over time.
- Camera quality - 4208 x 3120 pixel resolution and 1080p output resolution with a 68-degree horizontal field of view.
As organizations plan their returns to the office and classroom, the full Owl Labs ecosystem instantly turns any workspace into a collaborative space using proprietary technology to transform the experience. An Owl Labs study found that 73% of U.S. workers who worked remotely during the pandemic have returned to work in person at least one day a week. More than 75,000 organizations around the world already use and love the Meeting Owl Pro for effective collaboration.
Owl Labs has had a hybrid workforce since long before the pandemic and its team knows how essential it is that all participants are on a level playing field, whether they’re in the office or joining virtually from afar. This understanding is reflected in its full product suite of solutions targeting the many challenges that remote workers face when striving to maintain equal footing with their in-office counterparts. The Whiteboard Owl camera continues this mission by further improving participation in meetings that involve whiteboarding.
“We believe the future of work is hybrid and 100% of employees will never be in the office together 100% of the time again, due to shifting work trends accelerated by the pandemic,” said Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs. “With this in mind, it’s crucial to wire your spaces for seamless remote work, to fully engage all team members, no matter where in the world they’re based. The best ideas can come from unexpected interactions but organic brainstorming is hard in a hybrid setting. The Whiteboard Owl makes it possible to spark moments of surprising inspiration for both people in the room and those joining virtually.”
See the Whiteboard Owl in action in the video here.
The Whiteboard Owl is now available for purchase in the U.S. on OwlLabs.com at $599, plus a monthly subscription fee of $10 per month for the software and ongoing updates. For a product demo or to be connected to your local reseller, please reach out to sales@owllabs.com.
About Owl Labs:
Owl Labs is the first company to build 360-degree video conferencing solutions for hybrid organizations. Its suite of products makes meetings more inclusive and collaborative by leveling the playing field between remote and in-room participants. The company’s flagship product, the Meeting Owl® Pro, is the first WiFi-enabled, 360-degree camera, microphone and speaker that automatically zooms in on whoever’s speaking with the highest quality video on the market. Owl Labs has raised $22 million in funding and is based in Boston, with remote and hybrid employees all over the world. To learn more, visit OwlLabs.com.
