Google announce Project Starline, a new video conferencing technology using light fields, at Google I/O

At Google I/O today the company announced a new video conferencing technology they have been testing internally over the last year.

Project Starline using 3D imaging to capture the user, real-time data compression to transmit the large volume of resulting data over existing networks and crucially a light field display system that creates a sense of volume and depth that can be experienced without the need for additional glasses or headsets, to create the illusion that you are really sitting across from a person.

Google says they have been testing the system extensively and found users are instantly able to ignore the technology and focus on the person in front of them.

Project Starline is currently available in just a few of Google’s offices in the Bay Area, New York and Seattle, and currently relies on custom-built hardware and highly specialized equipment, but Google hopes to make the technology more affordable and accessible, including bringing some of these technical advancements into their suite of communication products.

Google has also been conducting demos with select enterprise partners in areas like healthcare and media to get early feedback on the technology and its applications and are currently planning trial deployments with enterprise partners later this year.

Watch Google’s demo video below: