Project Starline is an experimental
video communication method currently in development by
Google
Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
that allows the user to see a
3D model
In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical coordinate-based representation of any surface of an object (inanimate or living) in three dimensions via specialized software by manipulating edges, vertices, ...
of the person they are communicating with. Google announced the product at its
2021 I/O developer conference, saying that it will allow users to "talk naturally, gesture and make eye contact"
by utilizing
machine learning
Machine learning (ML) is a field of inquiry devoted to understanding and building methods that 'learn', that is, methods that leverage data to improve performance on some set of tasks. It is seen as a part of artificial intelligence.
Machine ...
,
spatial audio
Surround sound is a technique for enriching the fidelity and depth of sound reproduction by using multiple audio channels from speakers that surround the listener (surround channels). Its first application was in movie theaters. Prior to sur ...
, computer vision and real-time
compression to create the 3D effect without the user wearing typical
virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...
goggles.
The goal is to make the user feel as if they are in the same room with the other user.
Development
Project Starline had been in development for more than five years prior to the official announcement on May 18, 2021.
The technology is currently only available in a small number of Google's offices, but the company plans to begin collaborating with certain partners in the next year,
particularly partners in the healthcare and media industries.
In November 2021, the project was reorganized under a new division called Google Labs (unrelated to the defunct service
of the same name) along with
Area 120
Area 120 is Google's in-house incubator in which employees work on 20% Project product ideas. It has helped develop Gmail, AdSense, Google News, and Google Cardboard.
The Area 120 division was created by Sundar Pichai in March 2016 and has ...
and Google's AR and VR efforts. Google will begin testing the technology with corporations such as
Salesforce
Salesforce, Inc. is an American Cloud computing, cloud-based software company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It provides customer relationship management (CRM) software and applications focused on sales, customer service, marketi ...
and
T-Mobile
T-Mobile is the brand name used by some of the mobile communications subsidiaries of the German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG in the Czech Republic ( T-Mobile Czech Republic), Poland ( T-Mobile Polska), the United States ( T-Mob ...
beginning in late 2022.
Implementation
The current implementation of Project Starline is a booth that the user sits in, facing a "light field display,"
surrounded by depth sensors, cameras, and lights.
is a photography technique that captures the direction of light as well as its intensity and color to enable more effective 3D imaging. The user can then view another user on the display in 3D and vice versa. Google says it plans to "make this technology more affordable and accessible."
Reception
Jay Peters of ''
The Verge
''The Verge'' is an American technology news website operated by Vox Media, publishing news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, consumer electronics news, and podcasts.
The website launched on November 1, 2011, and uses Vox Media' ...
'' was impressed by a demo of Project Starline, comparing it to "real life science fiction".
References
External links
Research paper
{{Google LLC
Google hardware