CEO Mark Zuckerberg should capture Facebook’s future virtual reality headphone users’ facial expressions of more realistic digital avatars.
In a podcast interview for The information, Zuckerberg has expanded into virtual and augmented reality over the next decade, including future Oculus VR devices. ‘One of the things I’m really excited about for future releases is getting introspection and facial recognition, because if you’m really excited about social presence, you want to make sure the device has all the sensors that’s really good. of realistic avatars animated so you can communicate as well, ”says Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg says that changes in hardware are a major focus point for building avatar. In VR, “the biggest things we’re very focused on right now are: how can you basically pack more sensors to create a better social experience in the device,” he says. ‘When I think about where you are at VR today, you go into the experience. There are some great games and different experiences. But I would like to reach the point where you have realistic avatars of yourself, where you can make sincere eye contact with someone and have real expressions that are reflected on your avatar. ”
Facebook has unveiled several versions of VR avatars, and Zuckerberg says a new generation of avatars is on the way later this year, with more realistic versions. He compares his desired quality to Epic’s MetaHuman tool, which allows animators to produce very detailed virtual faces – but he wants Facebook to generate these kinds of avatars through machine learning on a large scale.
Otherwise, The informationsay interview confirms several known areas of interest for Facebook. Zuckerberg indicates that Oculus is already considering ‘Quest 3 and 4’ hardware – an indication that Facebook is committed to the Quest-independent VR design for the near future. Facebook also has an active interest in augmented reality, with some smart glasses being introduced later this year, but Zuckerberg reiterates that they will not have standard visual AR elements.
He also discussed the Facebook acquisition of CTRL-Labs, which makes bracelets that detect and interpret neural signals – a partial alternative to intrusive brain-computer interfaces like Elon Musk’s Neuralink. “We don’t think people want to have their heads drilled to use virtual or augmented reality,” Zuckerberg says. He notes that Neuralink has many real-world applications, especially for medical technologies such as prosthetic limbs. ‘But in the end I do not think [that] will be part of a consumer product that will be offered soon. ”