Microsoft Teams adds 3D avatars to the Teams chat system

Microsoft says it's adding 3D virtual avatars and environments to its Teams chat system as part of its metaverse push. Teams is Microsoft's business chat and video calling app, similar to Zoom or Google Meet, a version is also available for personal use. The company says its "Mesh" platform will allow people to meet in a virtual space with or without a VR headset.

Microsoft states the new features it calls "immersive meetings" will be available in the first half of 2022.

This comes after Facebook showcased similar virtual chats as part of its rebrand. While there is no single strict definition of what a "metaverse" would be, most versions represent a future version of the Internet, with a diverse set of interconnected virtual worlds spanning everything from gaming to education.

Both Microsoft and Meta are promoting 3D chat and collaboration as a key part of their original project.

No more webcams

However, Microsoft is less focused on the need for a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) headset, but it will support them.

For example, 3D avatars will be able to represent a person in a remote Teams meeting when they don't want to turn on their webcam. The company stated that their system will "use artificial intelligence to simulate movements and gestures, allowing you to be physically present in a conversation even when your camera is off." “Too many people are a static picture most of the time,” Microsoft's John Roach wrote on his blog. According to him, avatars will also be able to animate the movement of the mouth when the user speaks into the microphone, to "give additional expressiveness."

Companies and organizations will be able to create their own 3D meeting spaces of their own design, which will also work in 2D or 3D. Microsoft plans to allow navigation of the virtual environment using this technology for those with a suitable VR or AR headset. The system has been tested with new employees at consulting firm Accenture, which has used the system to "adapt" employees during the pandemic.

Microsoft has its own augmented reality technology division that makes a headset known as the Hololens. But, unlike Facebook's Oculus gaming headsets or Valve's Index VR gaming headsets, they're aimed at business customers. They serve a different purpose, mixing digital overlays with the real world, and are significantly more expensive.

The company states that its initial augmented reality project was designed to be used by 3D designers who collaborate "on everything from bicycles and high-end furniture to new jet engines and sports stadiums." Bringing the Mesh platform to Teams is the "gateway to the metaverse" and Microsoft believes that people who try virtual meeting will prefer it to traditional remote meetings.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, when he was explaining the new systems at the Microsoft Ignite event, said: "The most important thing we can bring with us is our humanity and choose how we want to perceive this world. The Metaverse isn't just changing how we see the world; it's changing how we all actively participate in it."