Whenever you suppose Canon, you would possibly suppose cameras, scanners, printers and such. At CES this yr, the corporate did a stride towards the softer facet of tech, taking a broader view of what imaging means. As we speak, the VR calling software program the corporate confirmed off again in January is obtainable to you — if in case you have a VR headset similar to the favored Oculu… I imply Meta Quest 2.

In a restricted preview earlier this month, I used to be capable of check out Canon’s new VR calling software program platform, which includes a cellphone and a VR headset. General and in concept, the system is super-well-thought-out: You scan your face utilizing an app in your cellphone, which builds a mannequin so the app can change the a part of your face that’s lined up by your VR masks. It additionally asks you ways tall you might be, so it may possibly scale your image proportionally to the individual you might be speaking to — a pleasant contact; as a tall individual, it usually feels unheimlich to be face-to-face with individuals after I’m in VR.

I knew we might do the demo in a desert setting so I wore a Hawaiian shirt and shorts. Nope, there’s no method of wanting cool in VR — and the removing-the-mask-from-my-face function labored about 20% of the time. Picture Credit: Screenshot of the Kokomo / Canon app in VR

When you’ve gone by the setup course of, you place your cellphone at waist top and take a couple of steps away, don a VR masks and dive right into a dialog. The cellphone makes use of its front-facing digicam to seize a reside image of you, whereas the VR headset reveals your fellow caller. If every part goes to plan, it’s telepresence at its best, with out the huge expenditure of typical telepresence methods.

That’s the idea — and what Canon is working towards with its platform. I’m loving the imaginative and prescient, however the actuality of the present system isn’t fairly there but.

In follow, issues should not fairly easy. In my check name with the Kokomo crew, I’m moderately beneficiant if I say I noticed the opposite individual within the name refresh at about three to 4 frames per second. That’s not sufficient to make the decision really feel easy, and it moderately bought in the way in which of feeling the presence of the, er, telepresence. The avatar I used to be talking to was additionally two-dimensional, which is one thing we haven’t seen in VR for some time — in impact, it feels just like the individual on the opposite facet of the decision is an animated cardboard cutout. That, mixed with the low body fee and the haphazardness of the VR masks removing (it appeared and disappeared at common intervals), did every part it may to wreck the immersion.

I can solely assume that over time the VR masks removing tech shall be much less Picasso-esque. Picture Credit: Screenshot of the Kokomo / Canon app in VR

The largest reward I can heap on Kokomo is that regardless of being early in its technical journey — and regardless of the litany of bugs and early-software gremlins — I believe it reveals large promise. For now, the crew tells TechCrunch it received’t be charging for the service; it desires to be taught and get suggestions from early customers to assist direct product improvement.

It’s laborious to foretell what occurs subsequent for the product; VR adoption is rising, and telepresence is a compelling use case for spending a while with your pals in VR. Proper now, the tech is sweet sufficient to allow you to dream of the long run that’s but to come back, however is just not fairly to the extent that it is sensible. All of this stuff may change, and essentially the most attention-grabbing takeaway from this product, I consider, is Canon’s dedication to bringing Kokomo to market and placing it in entrance of consumers. It’s positively one to regulate — and, if in case you have the required {hardware}, value attempting out with a good friend.