Google Beam 3D video conferencing rolls out at 20 USO sites
Google has deployed Beam 3D video conferencing at 20 USO sites worldwide, after a pilot linking Fort Bliss and Poland.
The rollout follows a pilot program that connected a Beam system at Fort Bliss, Texas, to another in Poland, Engadget reported. Google also released a promotional video showing soldiers using the platform.
Google Beam, previously called Project Starline, uses six cameras, AI-assisted video models and a specialized light display to project people as lifelike 3D holograms in real time. Head tracking and spatial audio are also part of the system, according to the report.
Engadget said it tried the technology several years ago and came away impressed. The person on the other end appeared life-sized, and the conversation felt like making eye contact and holding the other person's gaze, the report said. The 3D effect was also realistic when the person being shown held an apple in the frame.
The USO deployment is the latest step for a technology Google has been developing as a more immersive alternative to conventional video calls. The company has not said whether the USO program indicates an imminent, broader commercial rollout, according to Engadget.