From capturing rocket launches at NASA to generating the uncanny avatars emergent in broadcast and cinema, London Ontario’s IO Industries has designed innovative camera technology used in diverse applications worldwide. In the company’s thirty-two years of operation, IOI cameras have been found on the sets of several big screen films, at use by leading video game developers scanning human models to produce game characters, integrated in manufacturing operations for process monitoring, and in specialized shooting for broadcast professional sports including NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA and English Premier League soccer. Praised for their compact designs, high resolution sensors, and ease of integration, IO Industries estimates its business is now 95% export.
By far IO Industries best-known achievement is their work with NASA. Having shot micro-gravity experiments on the International Space Station and frame-by-frame breakdowns of lift-off sequences, IOI offers several camera product lines with a range of performance characteristics. Some examples are HD video at 2260 frames per second (fps); 4K video at 565fps; and 65 Megapixels at 71fps. Not the only government organization interested in IOI cameras, the U.S. military also extensively uses a variety of IOI tech for helicopter footage and weapons testing.
It comes as no surprise that with such an impressive list of clients and accomplishments, IO Industries constructed a new 15000 sq. feet London manufacturing facility in 2015. With their growth came a new avenue of camera innovation, as IO Industries in recent years has delved into the exciting world of three-dimensional recording and volumetric capture.
Volumetric capture, which is the recording of a three-dimensional space using cameras to create a 3-D image (avatar) instead of a flat photo, has quickly become the largest market for IO Industries technology. With the market valued at an estimated $2.2 billion USD in 2023, the volumetric video capture industry is predicted to increase to $7.6 billion USD by 2028. Last year IO Industries supplied a new Vancouver-based volumetric capture studio with 106 Volucam™ 12MP cameras in a deal valued at CA$1.1 million.
“The emerging markets of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality present a tremendous growth opportunity for our unique camera technology” says Andrew Sharpe, president of IO Industries. Companies like Apple are leading the world into the next phase of visual experiences and IO Industries is well positioned to help them deliver on that promise” adds Mr. Sharpe.
IO Industries has grown from its humble entrepreneurial beginnings to a thriving business that sells cutting-edge tech and software in the Canada, U.S., Asia and Europe. With their outstanding achievements internationally, IO Industries is an exciting example of technological excellence based in London, Ontario.
