Polaroid meets Instagram as new camera looks set to dominate 2014

The ailing Polaroid brand looks set to earn a second wind, thanks to the very force that nearly killed it off in the first place: the Internet.

Click HERE to see the gallery of Instagram camera fan art - including a camera made from crackers.

The iconic camera company will lend its name and heritage to a brand new instant digital camera with impressive web integration – and an Instagram theme.

Planned to hit the shelves some time in 2014, the camera, which is currently calling itself Socialmatic in lieu of a snappier moniker, takes pictures using the full range of filters for which the Facebook-owned picture-sharing service Instagram has become so popular.

Users will then be able to post their pictures online to their various social media via WiFi or 3G, or print them out and share them 'IRL'. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and email integration are all promised, while Socialmatic is also hoping to create its own picture-sharing network.

Socialmatic was originally proposed as a concept in May 2012. The idea went viral, due in part to the camera’s distinctive looks, which resembled Instagram’s logo, and its popularity has inspired Socialmatic to press ahead with bringing the concept to market.

The camera is promised to have 16GB of internal storage, WiFi and 3G connectivity, an SC-HD slot for external mass storage, and snazzy touchscreen interface. Slightly obnoxiously, each photo will come with its own QR code, allowing users to ‘follow the photo in real and virtual world’.

"This mix of hardware and software, together with our brand new photo social network, will fill the gap between virtuality and reality," claimed Antonio De Rosa, CEO of Socialmatic.