In reality, there is still no Zoom that includes virtual reality as such, despite the fact that many companies are already working to offer virtual meeting rooms where, with augmented reality glasses, participants can simulate that they are physically there.
The main work tools that most people use have not yet made the leap in that regard. Even Facebook, which is trying to push its entire company to the concept of the metaverse, doesn’t yet have one. Meanwhile, Microsoft is finally pushing Teams toward a virtual reality- bridging tool that will arrive in beta form in the first half of 2022.
Towards avatars and virtual reality.
Upgrade between devices for laptops, phones, virtual reality glasses and Hololens headphones Microsoft makes their avatars are at the center, next focus with a set of spaces immersive meeting to be incorporated into applications and services Microsoft Office 365 It seems that it could be, in a way, like what the Horizon Workrooms of Facebook has tried to implement in the field of virtual work meetings.
Microsoft Teams began to reinvent itself during the pandemic: An experimental update that the company released in 2020 called Together Mode, reorganized virtual meeting participants into classrooms and auditoriums, somewhat like a translation of the spirit of virtual reality into a video conferencing application. in 2D. The improvements were quickly apparent, based on Microsoft’s finding that, at least in the short term, people weren’t going to spend most of their time wearing virtual reality headsets and glasses while telecommuting, and they were fully aware of this. the fatigue of being connected to Zoom all day.
Personalized avatars but respecting privacy
Microsoft’s next step in Teams is to take the idea of these avatars and open more customization options on the image and personal identity of users. The avatars will work in Teams 2D modes as an alternative to showing the real face in front of the camera, but reactions and emotions can be expressed through emojis. It will also work in immersive 3D spaces that will intersect between virtual reality, augmented reality and 2D screens.
From Microsoft they assure that the investigation that the company is carrying out through its internal Human Factors Laboratory discovered that 85% of the people who used avatars felt “very present” in virtual meetings . That encouraged Microsoft to think that avatars could be realistic substitutes for real people during group meetings, adding to the current options of choosing between having the computer camera on or off.
The first version of the avatars will be animated by artificial intelligence that will interpret the voice signals, but will be supported by the cameras of the users’ devices. Microsoft has also suggested that virtual reality headsets and other devices like motion sensors could also help animate more expressive avatars as the Teams app evolves.
