Future Facebook virtual reality headsets should capture users’ facial expressions for more realistic digital avatars, says CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
In a podcast interview for The information, Zuckerberg exposed in the next decade in virtual and augmented reality, including future Oculus VR devices. “One of the things I’m really excited about for future versions is getting eye tracking and facial tracking, because if you’re really excited about the social presence, you want to make sure that the device has all the sensors to really kind of animate avatars realistic so you can communicate well, ”says Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg says that changes in hardware are the main focus for building avatars. In VR, “the most important things we’re very focused on right now are how you basically package more sensors to create a better social experience on the device,” he says. “When I think about where you are with VR today, you get into the experience – there are some very good games and different experiences. But I would love to get to the point where you have realistic avatars of yourself, where you can make authentic and real eye contact with someone and have real expressions that are reflected in your avatar. “
Facebook launched several iterations of VR avatars, and Zuckerberg says a new generation of avatars is on the way later this year, with more realistic versions in addition. He compared the desired quality with Epic’s MetaHuman tool, which allows animators to produce highly detailed virtual faces – but he wants Facebook to generate these types of avatars through large-scale machine learning.
Otherwise, The informationin interview confirms several areas of interest known to Facebook. Zuckerberg points out that Oculus is already imagining “Quest 3 and 4” hardware – an indication that Facebook remains committed to Quest’s standalone VR design for the foreseeable future. Facebook also has an active interest in augmented reality, with a pair of smart glasses coming out later this year, but Zuckerberg reiterates that they will have no standard AR visuals.
He also discussed the acquisition of CTRL-Labs by Facebook, which manufactures armbands that detect and interpret neural signals – a partial alternative to invasive brain-computer interfaces, such as Elon Musk’s Neuralink. “We don’t think people will want to have their heads pierced to use virtual or augmented reality,” says Zuckerberg. He notes that Neuralink has very real applications, particularly for medical technologies like limb prostheses. “But at the end of the day, I don’t think [that] it will be part of a consumer product that will be offered soon. “