Project Starline is the future of video calling, a sort of magic mirror that until now we’ve only seen in science fiction movies and that will soon become reality.
Among the announcements that went unnoticed during the recent Google I/O there’s an initiative focused on virtual communication. It’s called Project Starline, and by combining research in software and hardware, it promises to improve the video calling experience by making it more realistic and enjoyable in every way.
During the event, Google pointed out that Project Starline is the result of several years of work, essential to be able to develop a complete system as shown in the presentation. Clay Bavor, Vice-President of Google’s virtual and augmented reality area, described the tool in a way similar to a mirror, a particular magic window through which to interact with another person in real size and, above all, in three-dimensional form.
Project Starline, what is the Google experiment
Using the usual channels used for video chats, namely Google Meet, Zoom or other similar programs, Project Starline is able to project the user’s image on a special screen, replicating it according to the true measures of the subject. In order to do this, Big G has specifically committed itself to certain technical aspects, such as artificial vision, machine learning, spatial audio and advanced real-time data compression.
To this, then, is added a system based on light fields, perceptible to the naked eye and without the use of glasses or special visors. It is therefore clear that, for Google, the decision to employ its energies in the field of digital communication is of primary importance, also to be able to intercept and cover the demand, which has become even stronger in the period of pandemic emergency that has affected the entire globe, to create tools to bring people together.
Project Starline, the next steps of Google
Currently, given the need for a particularly complex instrumentation, Project Starline is used exclusively in a few offices of the company. However, Mountain View plans to expand the current range of users in the near future, making the package available to a wider number of users, starting with trials with business partners as early as 2021.
For Bavor, this is a first step toward reaching a new milestone for the industry: “We believe this is the direction that person-to-person communication technology can and should be heading, and over time, our goal will be to make the technology more accessible and affordable by including some of these technical advances in our product suite.”