Google Beam 3D Video Calling Tech Heads to 20 USO Locations

Google has announced that its Beam 3D video conferencing system is being rolled out to 20 locations run by the United Service Organizations (USO) around the world. The move means that active-duty military members will be able to use the technology to stay in touch with relatives.

The deployment follows a successful pilot program in which one Beam system at Fort Bliss, Texas, was linked to another in Poland. Google has also released a promotional video showing soldiers using the platform.

How Beam works

Google Beam, formerly known as Project Starline, combines six cameras, AI-assisted video models and a specialized light display to present people as lifelike 3D holograms in real time. Head tracking and spatial audio add to the effect.

Engadget's reporters tried the technology several years ago and came away impressed. They found the person on the other end appeared life-sized, and the experience felt like making eye contact and holding each other's gaze. The 3D effect also seemed realistic, particularly when the conversation partner held an apple in the frame.

What comes next

It is not yet known whether the USO program signals a broader rollout of the technology. That remains to be seen.