Microsoft announced its newest tool – Mesh for Microsoft Teams, which enables using avatars for the online meetings.
Mesh for Microsoft Teams combines the MR capabilities of Microsoft Mesh with the conferencing capabilities of Teams, and is scheduled to be available for the public in the 2022.
The feature will allow users to customize their own avatar that they can use freely in a virtual office and other spaces within the platform.
Initially, the service offers multiple immersive spaces that can be used for meetings and social events.
The preview version, which will be available in the first half of 2022 will allow users to participate in Teams meetings with a unique avatar, video, and use a still image or an icon with their initials.
Katie Kelly, the company’s principal project manager, commented that the avatar’s facial expression will move in synch with the actual person’s movements, which is achievable by capturing the voice and reproducing it as a facial expression. Next, it will be made possible to utilize AI to guess the position of the mouth and imitate the movement of the head and face.
Microsoft sees Mesh for Microsoft Teams as a gateway to the “metaverse” – the virtual space and is taking its approach to all the 250 million users.