Logitech built Google’s Project Starline video conferencing booth – without holograms | Engadget

For better or for worse, video calls have become an integral part of our lives. Whether you’re chatting with a loved one oceans away or collaborating with teammates across time zones, sitting in front of a webcam or holding your phone up is an inescapable reality. That’s why many companies have created products that make video calls feel more natural — like NVIDIA’s broadcast tool, which makes it appear like you’re maintaining eye contact even when you’re not, and Google’s experimental 3D telepresence or holographic booths. But Logitech is introducing something that uses dead simple technology to make video chatting more like the real-world experience. The company announced Project Ghost in January and recently invited us to test a working version in New York.

The premise is simple. Rather than messing around with holograms or algorithms that make your students look like they’re staring into a camera, Logitech simply embedded its existing Rally Plus video conferencing system into a booth it co-created with furniture maker Steelcase. The result is a cabin that’s like a larger business class seat (but not quite first class), with walls about 5ft 10in high. Tan wood slats line the exterior and match the interior panels. On one side is a hollow wall nearly two feet thick with a screen inside and a mirror below it set at a perpendicular angle. Across from the TV is a light pink couch, a side table with a touchscreen control panel, and some green plants behind it.

With its warm colors, soft curves, pink couch and greenery, the stand looked very inviting. I quickly dropped onto the sofa and was slightly surprised to see a woman staring at me. She appeared life-size and it felt like our eyes met, despite sitting in a similar booth all the way around Boston. Because the camera is embedded behind the display, it was easy for me to look into her face, and on the other end of the call it seemed like I was staring straight at her.

Although Logitech execs told me during the demo that the video quality was capped at 1080p and tended to stream at 720p or lower, I initially thought the woman I was calling was rendered in 4K. But the clarity and realism I’d assumed was a result of the high resolution was more because I wasn’t used to talking to someone on such a big screen. I usually take my calls on a 13-inch laptop, and even when I’m in a meeting room with my colleagues’ faces glued to a 40-inch TV, I didn’t feel like they were right in front of me.

The only time I felt there was distortion was when I heard feedback from my voice during parts of the demo. I couldn’t tell where the speakers and mics were embedded in the room, so I didn’t have to adjust or learn how to move to avoid the echoes. But for the most part the meeting went smoothly, and when the company executives finally left the room so I could be alone with the caller, I was able to relax. Even though I was only looking at the person’s torso, I could see small changes in body language such as posture. It’s not a perfect substitute for a real conversation, but possibly not being at my laptop meant I was much more focused than I normally am on calls.

Much of this sense of realism and privacy could have to do with the setup of the booth. There is a black wall behind the couch, while there is a horizontal light with a filter effect above the TV box, and together they make the caller appear well lit and focused. The fact that both I and the person I’m speaking to are staring at our torsos and heads with nothing else in the background eliminates any distraction.

Of course you could achieve something similar by investing in a tripod, background, dedicated camera and spending a lot less money, but this product is not intended for the average consumer. Logitech said it’s received a lot of interest from companies wanting to order the pods for their office space and is considering iterating the design to make it more suitable for different scenarios.

In addition to larger, multi-person setups (the current couch is designed for one), Logitech said it might also come up with something people could buy for home use. I could imagine Ghost being incredibly useful for calls with my therapist, telemedicine appointments, or even just as a dedicated live streaming station. But considering that Logitech estimates that each unit costs around $15,000 to $20,000 depending on size or style, I can probably only look at that with envy. If you have that much cash left over, the company said it would be ready to sell these in the fall.