Project Starline is an experimental
video communication method currently in development by
Google that allows the user to see a
3D model 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"[1] by utilizing
machine learning,
spatial audio, computer vision and real-time
compression to create the 3D effect without the user wearing typical
virtual reality goggles.[2] The goal is to make the user feel as if they are in the same room with the other user.[3][4]
Development
Project Starline had been in development for more than five years prior to the official announcement on May 18, 2021.[5][6] 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,[7] particularly partners in the healthcare and media industries.[8][better source needed]
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 and Google's AR and VR efforts.[9] Google will begin testing the technology with corporations such as
Salesforce and
T-Mobile beginning in late 2022.[10]
Implementation
The current implementation of Project Starline is a booth that the user sits in, facing a 65 in (170 cm) "light field display,"[7] surrounded by depth sensors, cameras, and lights.[5][11]Light field technology is a photography technique that captures the direction of light as well as its intensity and color to enable more effective 3D imaging.[12] 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."[2]
Reception
Jay Peters of The Verge was impressed by a demo of Project Starline, comparing it to "real life science fiction".[13]