Imaging and software company Planitar Inc. today unveiled a new camera that it says can do a 3D scan of a property in just minutes.
The new camera is called the iGuide Planix, and according to a company statement it can “produce an accurate floor plan, immersive 3D tour, high-quality property images, and reliable measurements.” More significantly, the company also says the camera uses a “time-of-flight laser scanner and an integrated 360 camera” to produce scans of average-sized properties in 15 minutes or less.
Alexander Likholyot
Planitar CEO Alexander Likholyot added in the statement that the launch of the iGuide Planix is a milestone for the company.
“This next generation system has a much longer measurement range, scans faster, is lighter and easier to use than ever before,” Likholyot said. “It will be the most optimal and practical tool for many applications in residential and commercial real estate, providing floor area measurements that meet and exceed industry’s accuracy requirements.”
Likholyot co-founded Planitar in 2012, and in 2013 the firm launched a commercially available 3D tour product. Planitar is based in Ontario, Canada, but has since expanded its offerings across North America, as well as to other regions around the globe.
Planitar is best known in the real estate world for its iGuide platform, which for years has allowed users to scan and map properties, as well as to create virtual reality spaces, among other things.
Last August, Planitar also teamed up with home space planning company Floorplanner, and debuted multiparty home tours.
The iGuide Planix system. Credit: Planitar
The launch of the iGuide Planix camera comes amid a boom time for 3D tours. Though interactive real estate images have been popular for years, the start of the coronavirus pandemic a year ago spurred explosive interest in the technology. The largest player in the space remains Matterport, which last month revealed plans to go public via a merger with a blank check company.
However, other companies, such as Zillow, have also entered the space, giving real estate professionals an array of options at many different price points.
In its announcement Monday of the iGuide Planix camera, Planitar made a nod to the increasingly crowded 3D tour space, saying that the new tech “heats up competition.”
For would-be users, the iGuide Planix camera is now available for pre-order on the iGuide website for $1,999. The cameras will become available after April 5, at which time the price increases to $2,199.
The company charges fees starting at $29 to process spaces, but unlike some other 3D tour providers does not require a monthly subscription.
In the company’s statement, Planitar vice president Michael Vervena ultimately argued that his company’s technology “provides everything that buyers want to see online,” and is also a good fit for sellers.
“For the seller,” Vervena said, “it is convenient and safe as they don’t have to worry about frequent open houses or strangers visiting their home.”
Update: This post was updated after publication with the full name of the iGuide Planix system.
