Google is looking to make video calls more realistic with its "Project Starline" telepresence system, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to build a realistic 3D model of the person you’re talking to.
The tech giant has been working on Project Starline since 2021 and revealed its latest prototype this month, which trims down on the size of the system and simplifies the technology needed to make it work. Andrew Nartker, Google’s GM for Project Starline, explained in a blog post that it "works like a magic window where you can talk, gesture and make eye contact with another person, life-size and in three dimensions."
"The system uses advanced AI to build a photorealistic model of the person you’re talking to, and projects that onto a light field display with a unique sense of volume and depth. The result is a lifelike image of the other person as if they were right in front of you," Nartker added.
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Earlier versions of the Project Starline telepresence technology were roughly the size of a small room or a booth at a restaurant and required hardware that might be harder for many businesses to acquire, such as special cameras and infrared light emitters that were used to create the live 3D model of a person on the call.
Google’s latest iteration of Project Starline requires only a few standard cameras to produce higher-quality 3D images and takes up about as much space as a flat-screen TV — making it much easier to deploy. The YouTube video from Google below showcases the new prototype:
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Google provided prototypes to several companies – including Salesforce, T-Mobile and WeWork — to get real-world data on how Project Starline can be used by distributed workforces with employees around the country and world.
"Trust and innovation are at the heart of Salesforce’s values," said Andy White, SVP of business technology at Salesforce. "Project Starline has the potential to help create authentic and immersive connections that foster deeper relationships with both our employees and customers, enhance trust and transparency, and drive productivity and efficiency."
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Google hasn’t offered a timeline for Project Starline to be available commercially for businesses or average consumers.
