Matterport Axis lets you use your smartphone to capture 360-degree images and then stitch them together to create 3D walkthroughs using the Matterport Capture app.

Mark Zuckerberg and other tech giants may be pouring billions into virtual reality (VR) and the metaverse, but you don't need to be Facebook or Apple to use VR technology in your business. There have been affordable smartphone apps available for more than a decade that allow users to shoot 360-degree panoramic photographs of the scene around them, and to convert these into 3D VR walkthroughs. However, the results can often look a little rough and ready, as the app attempts to 'stitch' multiple images together to create a full 360-degree view of your surroundings. 

The Matterport Capture app, available for iOS and Android devices, works in a similar way, but is designed to provide a more precise and professional solution for business users in fields such as retail, real estate, and construction or architecture. The Capture app has been available for a few years, and Matterport also sells a number of specialised 3D cameras, as well as offering a Capture service with professional staff who can record scenes and locations for you. 

These specialist cameras range in price from$300 to$18,500, but the company has recently released a more affordable option called the Matterport Axis. This is a motorised camera mount that can hold a smartphone and be controlled by the Capture app in order to automatically rotate the phone's camera and capture the scene around it with great precision. These digital scenes -- referred to as 'spaces' -- can then be displayed to clients or colleagues, providing virtual reality walkthroughs of locations such as construction sites, residential properties, or perhaps creating a VR showroom for retail businesses.  

If you're curious, check out the professionally produced spaces on Matterport's website.  

Matterport Axis

pros and cons

• Easy-to-use Capture app
• Low-cost Axis mount, with tripod option
• Works with most smartphones
• Useful editing features

• Requires subscription for additional features
• Editing scenes can be complicated
• Confusing documentation

Price & options 

The Matterport Capture app for iOS and Android is free to download and use, so you can easily try it out to get a feel for how it works. The app guides you through the process of scanning locations and you can combine multiple scans -- such as a series of rooms in a residential property -- to create your 3D spaces. The free version of the app allows you to create multiple spaces, although only one space at a time can be 'active' for viewing online, but that's enough to give you an idea of how the app works before committing to a subscription. 

Matterport's Starter subscription plan costs$9.99/