Metaverse minus the headset: A deeper look at Lenovo’s Project Chronos

As anticipated, there was loads of metaverse-related exercise at CES 2023, with the highest-profile launch being HTC’s new flagship VIVE XR Elite VR/AR headset. There was additionally an intriguing announcement from Lenovo — Project Chronos, a camera-based full physique motion-capture system that lets you animate an avatar within the metaverse with out the necessity for a headset or different wearable sensors. 

Additionally: Apple’s VR/AR headset is coming. Here’s everything we know so far

Particulars on Mission Chronos, which continues to be very a lot a piece in progress, have been restricted, so ZDNET caught up with Sanjeev Menon, vp and normal supervisor of the Desktop Enterprise Section at Lenovo, through e-mail after the present to search out out extra. 

Why do you suppose related motion-control applied sciences have failed to realize widespread traction?   

Pure motion-capture applied sciences are both marker-based utilizing body-tracking sensors or markerless-based utilizing cameras. Deployments of the latter have sometimes been restricted both by complicated setup necessities or poor consumer expertise on account of low accuracy and excessive latency. 

With the speedy evolution of {hardware} expertise and AI, Mission Chronos can push the boundaries to allow close to real-time movement seize, permitting new ranges of freedom for individuals to work together and interact inside digital areas. To that finish, we additionally did not need to confine its use to just one state of affairs, however relatively energy a number of use circumstances throughout totally different features of shoppers’ lives.  

Whether or not used for content material creation, social gaming, reside broadcasting, health exercises or one thing else completely, the Mission Chronos idea is purpose-built to empower a brand new degree of freedom for many who frequent digital areas or those that wish to new applied sciences to interact with others. 

What was the impetus for Lenovo to maneuver wearable-free movement management past gaming and into the metaverse with Mission Chronos?  

With Mission Chronos, we’re creating a brand new gateway to the metaverse for individuals to expertise all forms of 3D digital areas in a brand new approach. Since it’s a wearable-free expertise that mimics one’s pure actions with lifelike avatars, it supplies customers with an unconventional, immersive expertise.  

Whether or not used for digital health, vlogging, gaming, digital walkthrough, etcetera, our idea will allow individuals to seamlessly change between digital worlds, and a wealthy catalog of choices opens the chances to sooner consumer adoption. 

Is the shape issue and specification of the Chronos unit finalized, or are additional refinements probably?   

We are going to proceed to refine the shape issue and specs based mostly on consumer expertise research. We can even work with content material creators and builders to drive the most effective match to energy the brand new state of affairs experiences. 

Why are there solely DisplayPort and Mini-DisplayPort connections on the present Chronos unit? Why not HDMI, too?   

Because the Mission Chronos base unit is designed to be paired with an exterior show, like a large-format monitor or TV, we plan to offer a number of video connectivity choices together with DisplayPort, Mini-DP and HDMI. Finally, we’ll optimize the I/O ports and specs for the most effective consumer expertise based mostly on consumer insights and market realities. 

Additionally, why is a handheld distant management required? Absolutely any consumer interplay with the Chronos unit could possibly be through gestures… 

By incorporating a handheld distant management with the system, we’re giving customers the choice to modify between body-driven management and a extra stationary interplay inside digital environments when most popular.

We wish Mission Chronos to be as versatile as potential, in order that it may meet a large number of wants and use circumstances. A distant management supplies the agility, and sometimes comfort, wanted to accommodate that. As we construct out our content material associate ecosystem, the distant can even give us extra choices to permit for compatibility throughout a larger variety of apps the place full-body motion could solely be acknowledged in features of the appliance.

How good is the monitoring of facial features and eye motion in Mission Chronos? Is extra growth wanted right here?  

Mission Chronos can monitor facial expressions together with the consumer’s micro facial features, eye motion, and mouth motion. We have achieved this by means of the adoption of 3D Level Cloud expertise that captures greater than 50+ energetic models round an individual’s face. It is a powerful expertise that we’re excited to proceed exploring on this proof-of-concept stage.

Which Mission Chronos use circumstances are prone to have most enchantment? 

We aren’t positioning Mission Chronos as a gaming answer at present, however see loads of potential in all its meant use circumstances. Nevertheless, I actually suppose individuals who at present use motion-capture fits or different wearable gadgets to regulate their digital avatars within the VTuber area will gravitate to this expertise due to the liberty it supplies. Mission Chronos will allow these performers and broadcasters to precise themselves by means of physique motion and facial features that hasn’t been potential with out wearable movement sensors of some kind.

Health is one other space that I believe individuals will see its enchantment. The power for an individual in Spain, for instance, to take a yoga class with an teacher in Thailand, obtain their rapid suggestions on kind and posture, and be capable of emulate what the trainer is doing as in the event that they’re standing proper in entrance of them is highly effective, particularly when you think about that each people can get pleasure from that have in an attractive digital surroundings with none extra AR/VR gear weighing them down.

Additionally: Meetings in the metaverse: Our experience with HTC Vive Sync

We additionally see different situations like social chatting or conferences being fashionable, the place individuals can leverage Mission Chronos to work together not solely with one another ‘in particular person’ within the digital world, however with 3D objects, as effectively. So, two architects or product designers may meet up and current their creation as a 3D hologram that they’ll each see in a extra immersive approach, eradicating the boundaries of time and area.

What is going to the Mission Chronos software program ecosystem appear like? Will I be capable of take my Lenovo avatar right into a digital world created by Meta, Microsoft, Google, HTC, or whoever? The place is Lenovo on the walled backyard/open system continuum? 

The metaverse is evolving at an unbelievable tempo as extra customers and experiences come on-line day by day. By merging gaming, media, reside occasions and social media into a brand new type of interactivity that blends digital and bodily, the metaverse is rewriting the foundations of the patron economic system.

As such, so too should our expertise evolve to adequately clear up the wants of its customers. To supply our clients the most effective consumer expertise, cross-device and platform collaboration is required within the AR/VR area, simply as it’s in different tech areas, and that is what we’re working towards attaining as we proceed to satisfy with content material creators, builders and repair suppliers to develop on this ecosystem and launch an answer that provides that digital freedom.

The imaginative and prescient we’re creating by means of Mission Chronos is an open 3D ecosystem the place customers can take their full-body avatar to any digital world within the metaverse and be capable of management it through pure interplay and physique motion with out the necessity for glasses or mocap wearables. That is why we’re positioning Mission Chronos as a gateway to 3D digital worlds, not solely from the {hardware} functionality perspective, but in addition from the open ecosystem perspective.

When will the following iteration of Mission Chronos be demonstrated after CES 2023?   

We’re finalizing future demonstrations of Mission Chronos and can announce the following iteration as soon as it’s obtainable.

When will we get a sign of the ultimate product title, launch date, and pricing? 

The ecosystem continues to be below growth, and we’ll announce its closing title, launch date, and pricing when it’s additional alongside in its launch preparation.

Lenovo Mission Chronos specs

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