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Google commenced real-world trials for a video booth project that promises to bring the future of video meetings to businesses.

Google announced a video booth idea in 2021 during one of its keynote sessions at Google I/O. While the concept had been on the back burner as Google focused on some of its more tangible products, the company is running real-world trials on its video booths almost a year later. The aim of these trials is to make Project Starline more accessible to enterprises.

Project Starline

The concept of creating Project Starline is relatively simple. It has been defined as a hybrid of Zoom and giant arcade machines. Project Starline takes video calling to another level with state-of-the-art technology that gives the feeling of the person on the other end being in the room.

A research paper on the project describes that video booths will feature 16 IR projectors and 14 cameras to create 3D models of the users on the line. Furthermore, the microphone and speakers are designed to create the illusion of the voice coming directly out of the user’s mouth. They aim to create a real person for a meeting without the person being there.

While the project is very expensive altogether, Google is adamant about its success. “Today, Project Starline prototypes are found in Google offices across the US, with employees using the technology every day for meetings, employee onboarding, and building rapport between colleagues”, the tech giant said.

While it’s still in the early trial stages, Google is hopeful that Project Skyline will succeed in future years. Time will tell if its efforts pay off.