Google is trying to make video calls hyper-realistic through holographic technology.
At Google I/O, the company demoed Project Starline, which creates a 3D model of your body in real time. The 3D imagery is then projected on a custom panel capable of displaying light rays as if they existed in a three-dimensional space. The result can strip away the 2D, grainy feel of a video call, and instead create the illusion of a face-to-face conversation.
“It’s as close as we can get to the feeling of sitting across from someone,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai said during the demo. The 3D model also enables you to view the other person on the video call from various angles for a realistic feel. “As you move your head and body, our system adjusts the images to match your perspective,” he added.
According to Pichai, Starline uses high-resolution cameras and custom-built depth sensors to capture the person’s shape for the video call. The HD images from the camera are then fused with the shape to create the 3D model.
The resulting 3D imagery is massive in file size. But Google found a way to compress the data by over 100 times, enabling the company to efficiently transmit the video over the internet.
The company has installed Starline at a few Google offices, and already the company has spent thousands of hours testing the technology. "We've also been conducting demos with select enterprise partners in areas like healthcare and media to get early feedback on the technology and its applications," the company added. "We’re planning trial deployments with enterprise partners later this year."
How much it cost Google to build a single Starline terminal was left unsaid. But expect more details about the project in the coming months.
“We believe this is where person-to-person communication technology can and should go, and in time, our goal is to make this technology more affordable and accessible, including bringing some of these technical advancements into our suite of communication products," Google said.