Systems and methods for generating virtual item displays

1. An item imaging system, comprising:

a roundhouse, comprising:

an outer structure, wherein the outer structure is a dome;

a turntable centered within the outer structure;

fifty-seven lights;

a first camera mounted in the dome centered above the turntable, a second camera mounted in a lower portion of the dome, and a third camera mounted in a portion of the dome between the first and second cameras; and

a raised barrier between the turntable and the fifty-seven lights configured to screen the fifty-seven lights from the first camera, the second camera, and the third camera; and

a processor connected to the first camera, second camera, third camera, and the turntable, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

controlling the fifty-seven lights and the turntable to rotate an item on the turntable and illuminate the item as one or more of the three cameras capture one or more images of the item; and

sending the one or more images to a server to be displayed in a virtual display of the item,

wherein the fifty-seven lights are configured to indirectly illuminate the item, and

wherein each of the first camera, second camera, and third camera is configured to capture images of the item from a different angle.

2. The item imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the item is a vehicle.

3. The item imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a hot box, comprising;

a plurality of lights configured to indirectly illuminate the item;

a panoramic camera;

a lift configured to adjust a height of the item; and

an arm connected to the panoramic camera and configured to support the panoramic camera and extend the panoramic camera into an interior space of the item,

wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations further comprising controlling the panoramic camera to capture a three hundred and sixty degree image of the interior space of the item.

4. The item imaging system of claim 3 , wherein the item is a vehicle.

5. A method for generating a virtual display of an item, comprising:

receiving, in a server, a series of images of an exterior of the item from a roundhouse;

receiving, in the server, a series of images of an interior of the item from a hot box;

receiving, in the server, a series of annotations of the images of the exterior of the item and the images of the interior of the item;

sending, from the server, the series of annotations of the images, the images of the exterior of the item, and the images of the interior of the item in a virtual display displayed at a consumer's computing device;

receiving, in the server, a selection of a next annotation of the series of annotations of the images; and

sending, from the server, an animation to transition to displaying the selected next annotation of the series of annotations of the images at the consumer's computing device in response to receiving the selection of the next annotation of the series of annotations,

wherein the roundhouse comprises:

an outer structure, wherein the outer structure is a dome;

a turntable centered within the outer structure;

fifty-seven lights configured to indirectly illuminate the item;

a first camera mounted in the dome centered above the turntable, a second camera mounted in a lower portion of the dome, and a third camera mounted in a portion of the dome between the first and second cameras; and

a raised barrier between the turntable and the fifty-seven lights configured to screen the fifty-seven lights from the first camera, the second camera, and the third camera, wherein each of the first camera, second camera, and third camera is configured to capture images of the item from a different angle.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

the method further comprising:

controlling the three cameras, the fifty-seven lights, and the turntable to capture the series of images of the exterior of the item; and

sending the series of images of the exterior of the item to the server;

the hot box comprises:

a plurality of lights configured to indirectly illuminate the item;

a panoramic camera;

a lift configured to adjust a height of the item; and

an arm connected to the panoramic camera and configured to support the panoramic camera and extend the panoramic camera into an interior space of the item; and

the method further comprising:

controlling the panoramic camera to capture the series of images of the interior of the item; and

sending the series of images of the interior of the item to the server.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein sending, via the server, an animation to transition to displaying the selected next annotation of the series of annotations of the images in response to receiving the selection of the next annotation of the series of annotations includes one or more of generating an animation using Bezier curves, generating an animation transitioning between one of the series of images of the exterior of the item and one of the series of images of the interior of the item, and generating an animation transitioning from one of the series of images of the exterior of the item to another one of the series of the images of the exterior of the item.

8. A system for hosting a virtual display of an item, comprising:

a server, comprising:

a network interface; and

a processor connected to the network interface, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

receiving a series of images of an exterior of the item from a roundhouse via the network interface;

receiving a series of images of an interior of the item from a hot box via the network interface;

receiving a series of annotations of the images of the exterior of the item and the images of the interior of the item via the network interface;

sending, via the network interface, the series of annotations of the images, the images of the exterior of the item, and the images of the interior of the item to a consumer's computing device for display in a virtual display;

receiving, via the network interface, a selection of a next annotation of the series of annotations of the images; and

sending, via the network interface, an animation to transition to displaying the selected next annotation of the series of annotations of the images at the consumer's computing device in response to receiving the selection of the next annotation of the series of annotations,

wherein the system further comprises the roundhouse comprising:

an outer structure, wherein the outer structure is a dome;

a turntable centered within the outer structure;

fifty-seven lights configured to indirectly illuminate the item;

a first camera mounted in the dome centered above the turntable, a second camera mounted in a lower portion of the dome, and a third camera mounted in a portion of the dome between the first and second cameras; and

a raised barrier between the turntable and the fifty-seven lights configured to screen the fifty-seven lights from the first camera, the second camera, and the third camera, wherein each of the first camera, second camera, and third camera is configured to capture images of the item from a different angle.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

the roundhouse further comprises:

a second network interface; and

a second processor connected to the second network interface, the fifty-seven lights, and the three cameras, wherein the second processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

controlling the three cameras, the fifty-seven lights, and the turntable to capture the series of images of the exterior of the item; and

sending the series of images of the exterior of the item to the server via the second network interface; and

the system further comprises the hot box comprising:

a plurality of lights configured to indirectly illuminate the item;

a panoramic camera;

a lift configured to adjust a height of the item; and

an arm connected to the panoramic camera and configured to support the panoramic camera and extend the panoramic camera into an interior space of the item;

a third network interface; and

a third processor connected to the third network interface and the panoramic camera, wherein the third processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

controlling the panoramic camera to capture the series of images of the interior of the item; and

sending the series of images of the interior of the item to the server.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that sending, via the network interface, an animation to transition to displaying the selected next annotation of the series of annotations of the images at the consumer's computing device in response to receiving the selection of the next annotation of the series of annotations includes one or more of generating an animation using Bezier curves, generating an animation transitioning between one of the series of images of the exterior of the item and one of the series of images of the interior of the item, and generating an animation transitioning from one of the series of images of the exterior of the item to another one of the series of the images of the exterior of the item.

11. A system for hosting a virtual display of an item, comprising:

a server, comprising:

means for receiving a series of images of an exterior of the item from a roundhouse;

means for receiving a series of images of an interior of the item from a hot box;

means for receiving a series of annotations of the images of the exterior of the item and the images of the interior of the item via the network interface;

means for sending the series of annotations of the images, the images of the exterior of the item, and the images of the interior of the item to a consumer's computing device for display in a virtual display;

means for receiving a selection of a next annotation of the series of annotations of the images; and

means for sending an animation to transition to displaying the selected next annotation of the series of annotations of the images at the consumer's computing device in response to receiving the selection of the next annotation of the series of annotations,

wherein the system further comprises the roundhouse comprising:

an outer structure, wherein the outer structure is a dome;

a turntable centered within the outer structure;

fifty-seven lights configured to indirectly illuminate the item;

a first camera mounted in the dome centered above the turntable, a second camera mounted in a lower portion of the dome, and a third camera mounted in a portion of the dome between the first and second cameras; and

a raised barrier between the turntable and the fifty-seven lights configured to screen the fifty-seven lights from the first camera, the second camera, and the third camera, wherein each of the first camera, second camera, and third camera is configured to capture images of the item from a different angle.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein:

the roundhouse further comprises:

means for capturing the series of images of the exterior of the item; and

means for sending the series of images of the exterior of the item to the server; and

the system further comprises the hot box comprising:

means for capturing the series of images of the interior of the item; and

means for sending the series of images of the interior of the item to the server.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein means for sending an animation to transition to displaying the selected next annotation of the series of annotations of the images at the consumer's computing device in response to receiving the selection of the next annotation of the series of annotations includes one or more of means for generating an animation using Bezier curves, means for generating an animation transitioning between one of the series of images of the exterior of the item and one of the series of images of the interior of the item, and means for generating an animation transitioning from one of the series of images of the exterior of the item to another one of the series of the images of the exterior of the item.

14. A non-transitory processor readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a series of images of an exterior of the item from a roundhouse;

receiving a series of images of an interior of the item from a hot box;

receiving a series of annotations of the images of the exterior of the item and the images of the interior of the item;

sending the series of annotations of the images, the images of the exterior of the item, and the images of the interior of the item to a consumer's computing device for display in a virtual display;

receiving a selection of a next annotation of the series of annotations of the images; and

sending an animation to transition to displaying the selected next annotation of the series of annotations of the images at the consumer's computing device in response to receiving the selection of the next annotation of the series of annotations,

wherein the roundhouse comprises:

an outer structure, wherein the outer structure is a dome;

a turntable centered within the outer structure;

fifty-seven lights configured to indirectly illuminate the item;

a first camera mounted in the dome centered above the turntable, a second camera mounted in a lower portion of the dome, and a third camera mounted in a portion of the dome between the first and second cameras; and

a raised barrier between the turntable and the fifty-seven lights configured to screen the fifty-seven lights from the first camera, the second camera, and the third camera, wherein each of the first camera, second camera, and third camera is configured to capture images of the item from a different angle.

15. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that sending an animation to transition to displaying the selected next annotation of the series of annotations of the images at the consumer's computing device in response to receiving the selection of the next annotation of the series of annotations includes one or more of generating an animation using Bezier curves, generating an animation transitioning between one of the series of images of the exterior of the item and one of the series of images of the interior of the item, and generating an animation transitioning from one of the series of images of the exterior of the item to another one of the series of the images of the exterior of the item.