Metaverse minus headphones: A closer look at Lenovo’s Project Chronos

As expected, there are a lot of metaverse related activities at CES 2023with the most high-end launch being the new flagship from HTC VIVE XR Elite VR/AR headset. There’s also a catchy announcement from Lenovo — time projecta camera-based full-body motion capture system that allows you to animate your avatar in the metaverse without the need for headphones or other wearable sensors.

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

Details on Project Chronos, which still have a lot of work in progress, were limited, so ZDNET reached out to Sanjeev Menon, vice president and general manager of the Desktop Business Segment at Lenovo, email after the show to learn more.

Why do you think analog motion control technologies have not gained widespread traction?

Technologies that capture natural movement are either marker-based using a body-tracking sensor or marker-based using a camera. Implementations of the latter are often constrained by complex setup requirements or poor user experience due to low accuracy and high latency.

With the rapid development of hardware technology and AI, Project Chronos can push boundaries to enable near-real-time motion capture, allowing people to freely interact and participate in virtual space. in new levels. To that end, we also don’t want to limit its use to just one situation, but instead provide multiple use cases across different aspects of consumers’ lives.

Whether used for content creation, social gaming, live broadcasting, fitness workouts or something else entirely, the Project Chronos concept is purpose-built to empower new levels of freedom for people who regularly use cyberspace or who are looking for new technology to interact with others.

What motivated Lenovo to bring non-wearable motion control beyond gaming and into the metaverse with Project Chronos?

With Project Chronos, we are creating a new portal into the super universe for people to experience all kinds of 3D digital spaces in a new way. Since it’s a wearable-free experience that mimics a person’s natural movements with a lifelike avatar, it offers users a unique immersive experience.

Whether used for virtual fitness, vlogs, games, virtual tutorials, etc., our concept will allow anyone to seamlessly transition between digital worlds and an extensive portfolio of options open. faster user adoption.

Has the Chronos unit’s form factor and specifications been perfected or is there room for further improvement?

We will continue to refine the form factor and specifications based on user experience studies. We’ll also work with creators and developers to tailor the best fit to support the new scenario experience.

Why are only DisplayPort and Mini-DisplayPort connections available on current Chronos devices? Why not HDMI?

Since the Project Chronos base unit is designed to pair with an external display, such as a monitor or large format TV, we plan to offer a variety of video connectivity options including DisplayPort, Mini-DP and HDMI. Finally, we will optimize I/O ports and specifications to deliver the best user experience based on user insights and market realities.

Also, why is a handheld remote control needed? Surely any user interaction with the Chronos device is possible through gestures…

By combining handheld remotes with the system, we give users the option to switch between body control and more stationary interaction in a virtual environment when preferred.

We wanted Project Chronos to be as flexible as possible so that it could accommodate a multitude of needs and use cases. Remote control offers the agility and often the convenience needed to provide it. As we build our content partner ecosystem, the remote will also give us more options to enable compatibility across more apps where full-body movement is only can be identified in aspects of the application.

How good is the facial expression and eye movement tracking in Project Chronos? Is there any need for further development here?

Project Chronos can track facial expressions including micro facial expressions, eye movements, and mouth movements. We’ve achieved this by applying 3D Point Cloud technology to capture more than 50 activity units around a person’s face. It’s an impressive piece of technology that we’re excited to continue exploring in this proof-of-concept phase.

Which Project Chronos use cases are most likely to be compelling?

Currently, we don’t position Project Chronos as a gaming solution, but see a lot of potential in all its intended use cases. However, I do think that people who are currently using motion capture suits or other wearable devices to control their virtual avatars in the VTuber space will be attracted to this technology because of its autonomy. due to it. Project Chronos will allow these performers and broadcasters to express themselves through body movements and facial expressions, which would not be possible without some sort of wearable motion sensor.

Fitness is another area where I think people will find its appeal. For example, the likelihood of someone in Spain taking a yoga class with an instructor in Thailand, getting immediate feedback on their form and posture, and being able to mimic what the instructor is doing. as if they were standing right in front of them. some of them are powerful, especially when you consider that both individuals can enjoy the experience in a beautiful virtual environment without any additional AR/VR devices weighing on them. surname.

Also: Meetings in the metaverse: Our Experience with HTC Vive Sync

We also see other situations such as social chats or meetups becoming commonplace, where people can leverage Project Chronos to interact not only with each other ‘live’ in the virtual world, but also with other objects. 3D statue. So two architects or product designers can meet and present their work as a 3D hologram that both can see in a more immersive way, removing barriers. about time and space.

What will the Project Chronos software ecosystem look like? Can I bring my Lenovo avatar into a virtual world created by Meta, Microsoft, Google, HTC or anyone? Where is Lenovo on the open system/walled garden?

Metaverse is growing at an amazing rate as more users and experiences come online every day. By merging games, media, live events, and social media into a new interactive form that combines digital and physical, the metaverse is rewriting the rules of the economy. consumer economy.

Therefore, our technology must also evolve to adequately address the needs of our users. To provide our customers with the best user experience, collaboration between multiple devices and platforms is required in the AR/VR space, just like in other technology areas, and that’s what we do. I’m working on it as we continue to meet with content creators, developers and service providers to expand this ecosystem and launch a solution that delivers that virtual freedom. .

The vision we are creating through Project Chronos is an open 3D ecosystem where users can take their full-body avatar to any virtual world in the super universe and be able to control it. through natural interaction and body movement without glasses or mocap. . That’s why we position Project Chronos as a gateway to 3D virtual worlds, not only from a hardware capabilities perspective but also from an open ecosystem perspective.

When will the next version of Project Chronos be shown after CES 2023?

We’re working on future demos of Project Chronos and will announce the next iteration as it becomes available.

When will we get the final product name, release date and price?

The ecosystem is still under development and we will announce the final name, release date and pricing as the system continues to prepare for launch.

Specifications of Lenovo Project Chronos

RECENT AND RELATED CONTENT

What is Metaverse and who builds it?

The metaverse’s biggest unknown: Where do we go from here

He coined the term ‘metaverse’. Now, Neal Stephenson wants to do something

Meetings in the metaverse: Our Experience with HTC Vive Sync

Apple’s VR/AR headset coming soon. Here’s everything we know so far

HTC VIVE XR Elite aims to be the new premium, all-in-one headset for everyone

Meta Quest Pro is fully working and not playing (for now)