Microsoft: Video and augmented reality in the new research project
One of Microsoft Research study uses augmented reality to project a full-size interlocutor of a video call. A project that could make the distance even more natural conversations using the modern technologies.
A recent project of Microsoft Research, the division of the Redmond that deals to develop, develop and test the most innovative technologies, aims to improve video calls using a system that allows you to project the image of the surrounding environment interlocutor reproduced life-size. The ultimate goal is to make remote conversations even more natural, simulating, in essence, the relationship of interaction that can be put in place in a real environment.
The system developed by Microsoft, called Room2Room, allows both users of video not only to observe the virtual transposition of the interlocutor reproduced in the correct perspective, but also to interact with it. To achieve the purpose Microsoft has used the Kinect sensor, equipped with technology for detecting the depth of the scene, and specific projectors.
The project does not translate into a mere exercise in style, but seems to produce practical effect’s thanks to the ability to make it similar to the real ones at distance conversations. Specifically, the researchers examined the behavior of different pairs of call’s users to reconstruct geometric shapes using specific blocks.
In the test, one of the subscribers sent the instructions to recompose the figures, with different results depending on the configuration tool. Users who have had the opportunity to interact face to face in the same environment, they have solved the puzzle in four minutes. The time has risen to nine minutes using the traditional Skype video call, while the Room2Room system has reduced the time to seven minutes. From these empirical, Measurements show clearly enough that make it similar to the forms of virtual communication real ones improved its effectiveness.
Room2Room, closely correlated with RoomAlive project with which the researchers have pioneered new techniques to turn a virtual game room into an arena – always taking advantage of augmented reality – is not yet ready to make his debut in the consumer market, especially in light of the costs needed to implement it – think of those in high-resolution video projectors needed to give substance to the virtual representation of your contacts.
What is worthy of attention, in addition to the specific results of the tests, concerns the system model developed by Remdond house that could also be implemented using different hardware. The most immediate reference should be to the Microsoft Hololens viewer that, in principle, of the components has required to support video calling using the augmented reality. The images created by Room2Room projectors may be easily replaced holograms by Hololens.
