Panospheric: Immersive Imaging for a Spherical Future

A curated reference archive documenting historical and technical usage of the term panospheric. Contact: info@panospheric.com

What is panospheric?

Panospheric (adjective) refers to the capture, imaging, or representation of a substantially spherical field of view (commonly 360° × 180°). The term appears in robotics and tele-exploration literature in connection with panoramic camera systems (including “panospheric camera” and “panospheric imaging”).

Key Milestones and Public Usage

Year	Source / Reference	Usage / Excerpt	Link
1997	Nomad FSR97 Field Report	Mentions a “panospheric camera” with a 360-degree field of view for continuous imagery.	PDF
1998	Murphy — “Panospheric Video for Robotic Tele-Exploration” (CMU)	Discusses “panospheric imaging (PI)” as a discipline for substantially spherical fields of view.	CMU
2001	USGS / JGR publication record (Nomad operations)	Compares science operations with and without using the panospheric camera.	USGS
2007	Almost Human: Making Robots Think (Wikipedia summary)	Mentions “panospheric camera” in Nomad context.	Wikipedia
2024	Nomad rover (Wikipedia)	Describes the panospheric camera view and mirror configuration.	Wikipedia

Dictionary-ready Definition Draft

Panospheric — relating to imaging systems that capture or present a substantially spherical field of view (typically 360° × 180°), used in panoramic/immersive imaging and robotics (e.g., “panospheric camera”, “panospheric imaging”).

Why this archive exists

Words survive when their meaning is recorded and consistently referenced. Panospheric.com curates verifiable public and academic usage so the term’s meaning remains stable and discoverable for future readers, editors, and lexicographers.