The proposed research is indented to lead to the development of a commercial product that can create a virtual meeting presence by displaying the remote user?s face to achieve a presence. The goal is to render computer-generated objects and visualize them as real objects for the user, thus creating augmented reality system. The first step of achieving a virtual teleconference will be to capture the user?s face. Furthermore, we will use a head-mounted display (HMD) to project the other meeting attendees as if they are at the same location as the user while they are remotely located. A key difference between our proposed product and other efforts is that we offer means for 3D visualization at a cost effective desktop-level. Another key difference is that we offer mobile indoors and outdoors solution providing full face capturing capabilities without the requirement of many cameras (i.e. ?Sea of cameras? proposed by University of North Carolina for example) and is easily calibrated. Adastra Labs? vision for our final product is cost-effective deployable VTMC accessible for everyone.
Potential NASA Commercial Applications: (LIMIT 150 WORDS) A potential NASA application is the capability for a virtual meeting presence, where instead of a video teleconference, the user is able to have the other meeting attendees sitting around a table as if they are at that location, but are actually remotely located. (e.g., across the table would be a 3D image of the other meeting participant reacting and interacting as if they were in the same room). Such system will be deployable and at desktop-level and will provide unique capability for remote collaboration. For example, such system can be used for remote ground collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency in application where the remote collaborators discuss possible hardware module.
Potential NON-NASA Commercial Applications: (LIMIT 150 WORDS) Potential non-NASA applications are the capability for virtual meetings among company employees as well as among company collaborators. The proposed VTMC provides means for remote meetings that fully resembles meetings held in the same virtual space. For example in the field of business negotiations often the facial expression and body language are of critical importance. Our product will enable the remote negotiators to have the capability to follow their counterparts? reaction, which might be desirable for all meeting attendees. Another possible scenario is for example in automotive industry where the designers are located in Europe and the management is located in USA.
