Meta unveils digital avatars for virtual and augmented reality

The company Meta (formerly Facebook),demonstrated realistic avatars, the environment for their existence, and a neural interface that allows controlling them.

According to Oculus senior researcher Michael Abrash, users will be able to create realistic avatars, control their eyes, facial expressions, change hairstyles and appearance. He demonstrated how the hair and skin of a digital person respond to changes in lighting and the environment.

The company also discussed real-time rendering technology for virtual worlds, which is intended to become the place where avatars interact with other digital copies of people. The system allows users to interact with real objects, with changes reflected in the generated environment.

The shown neural interface is based on electromyography (EMG). This technology converts brain signals sent to the arm into computer commands via a special bracelet.

In 2019, Facebook acquired CTRL-Labs, whose technologies presumably laid the groundwork for the EMG device.

Meta did not specify when the technologies would reach the market. According to Abrash, they are ‘still in the research stage’.

Earlier on 28 October Facebook carried out a major rebranding. The company is now called Meta, and its main aim is to create a metaverse, which it calls the ‘next stage in the evolution of social connections’.

On 5 October, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen told the US Senate that the social network uses algorithms to incite hatred for profit. Prior to this, the whistleblower disclosed internal company documents that have underpinned media investigations into Facebook’s problems.

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