The pandemic has forced most of the world’s people to meet face-to-face online. Several video conferencing applications are also used, such as Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom. However, the face-to-face experience the apps provide is pretty much the same. To that end, Google developed a new project that supposedly will provide a more real online face-to-face experience by carrying the concept of 3D video calls. The project, named Project Starline, was introduced at the 2021 Google I\/O event last May. That said, Project Starline will provide a more impressive video call experience than Zoom et al. When Google announced Project Starline, no one expected that the technology it carried was so complicated. Starting with a booth or booth design that is similar to a seat in a restaurant, it allows users to sit comfortably when they communicate with their interlocutor remotely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google prioritizes user comfort, so the design was made so that users are more comfortable in communicating, like dealing with the other person directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Users can communicate more clearly and better, without using any tools such as VR headsets or 3D glasses. Google strives to provide convenience for users to be able to see and hear the other person from a distance as realistic as possible. In fact, Google can ensure users have freedom of movement, the ability to see the other person from various angles, to audio features that can be displayed more realistically so that users feel like talking directly to the other person. To achieve this Project Starline records and tracks a person with a set of three “pod” cameras. Each “pod” contains four monochrome cameras measuring 1280×1024 and running at 120Hz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The camera is equipped with a filter to prevent near-infrared light (near-infrared), so that the recorded view is even better. The three “pods” are respectively placed above the screen on the left and right and one at the bottom center of the screen, as illustrated below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bottom pod contains an RGB camera that captures the colors needed to perfectly imitate the individual’s shape,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Project Starline has four cardioid microphones that can be found throughout the pod. Cardioid microphones are usually used to pick up sound from the front and slightly sideways.
The microphone serves to help the system imitate individual voices, thereby recreating the other person’s voice that is more realistic and unaltered.
In this recording, visual and audio information captured by the camera will be rendered on a Lenovo P920 PC with four GPUs, namely two NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 GPUs and two NVIDIA GeForce Titan RTX GPUs. Then the information will be sent over the internet via WebRTC.
WebRTC itself is a transformative technology that allows users to communicate in real time through a browser. Next, a composite image is generated from all the pod images that have been combined into one big chunk.
Unlike other video calling applications such as Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime that display 2D video, Project Starline provides the sensation of 3D video with high quality. So, it is as if the user is talking and sitting directly in front of the other person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is possible thanks to a custom-made display with a 65-inch span and 8K resolution, and equipped with a stereoscope lens. The screen display is similar to the Nintendo 3DS which uses a parallax barrier, or a device that is placed in front of the image source. However, the parallax barrier is not like that of the Nintendo 3DS which has a \u201cSweet Spot\u201d for 3D created images. Lenses in Project Starline are useful for creating illusions that are more real and natural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google reveals that VR can create similar experiences, but that VR headsets don’t have a wide enough field to more clearly and naturally replicate the user’s face when in use. Because, there are latency and other common problems that still affect Starline, namely the internet network. However, it seems that it is still better than the 2D video that is commonly used today. Project Starline itself has been used by Google for various purposes including several meetings. In the future, Starline is expected to be used for all users, especially in office or other commercial areas. How complex and sophisticated the technology implemented by Project Starline is, making this one video call application superior to existing 2D video call applications such as Zoom, Skype, or Facetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The need for digital IT is needed in daily activities, Bead IT Consultant is the right choice as your partner, visit our website by clicking this link:\u00a0www.beadgroup.com<\/a><\/p>\n\r\n