Apples Animoji Could Be Headed To VR Via FaceTime

Apple’s Animoji Could Be Headed To VR Via FaceTime

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Apple’s VR headset might include facial expression sensors and eye-tracking which would allow Animoji to be used as avatars that update in real-time.

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Apples Animoji Could Be Headed To VR Via FaceTime

Apple already has three-dimensional avatars designed and ready for use in its rumored virtual reality headset. Known as Animoji, these adorable, 3D-shaded cartoons are available now in FaceTime calls made with an iPhone, allowing the user to appear as a cute animated fox, a spooky skull, or a surprisingly emotive giraffe. With an iPhone, Apple leverages its TrueDepth camera to detect when the user smiles, winks, or makes other facial expressions. When wearing a VR headset, that won’t be possible, but Apple has another method in mind.

Animoji are the animated 3D versions of Memoji stickers. Apple has several based on animals, both real and mythical, along with a robot, a poop emoji-inspired character, a skull, and a cartoon ghost. All of these are Pixar-like renderings, appearing to have depth while being anthropomorphized into faces that can smile, wink, and stick their tongues out. It’s also possible to create custom Memoji and Animoji that have a human shape, with facial features and clothing being adjustable to more closely resemble the user.

According to multiple sources, Apple is expected to announce a VR/AR headset in 2022. Most VR experiences include virtual hangouts with avatars representing the people that are present. It’s quite convenient that Apple already has 3D avatars ready for VR use in the form of Animoji. A recent Apple patent application describes embedding sensors into a head-mounted display to detect the user’s facial expressions and track eye movement to update avatars. Health-tracking might also be possible with blood oxygen, heart rate, and blood flow sensors.

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Apple Animoji Possibilities

When making a FaceTime call or meeting in a virtual space, Apple VR headset users will need to be represented as an avatar since their eyes, eyebrows, and cheeks could be obscured by the headset. Meta seems to be limiting users of its Quest headset to human character designs in Horizon apps, giving Apple an opportunity to ‘think different’ by allowing the use of all of its Animoji. An expanded roster would be nice as well and, while Apple rarely adds new Animoji, that might change if it becomes the user’s primary representation in virtual reality.

Another way that Apple might enhance avatars is by using health metrics collected by the VR headset. A fitness tie-in seems likely since untethered VR games allow freedom of movement. It would be quite fun to work out and see anime-style power building as the user’s heart rate increases. To be clear, Animoji variety is not mentioned in the patent application, instead only describing facial expression sensors and eye-tracking. For the moment, this is simply an intriguing glimpse of Apple’s research on VR headsets and speculation about how Animoji could be used as avatars.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/apple-animoji-facetime-vr-headset-face-tracking-patent/

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