Google unveils 'magic window' that can let people chat virtually in lifelike 3D

• Google announced a lifelike virtual meeting screen that uses 3-D imaging tech on Tuesday.
• The company unveiled the project, which is still in the works, during its annual I/O conference.
• Google's 2021 I/O developer conference runs through Thursday.

Google announced an in-the-works product that would allow people to meet virtually via a "magic window."

The pseudo-video chat technology, known as Project Starline, would allow users to "see another person, life-size and in three dimensions," Google said.

The technology employs 3D imaging and real-time compression "to capture people as they are," according to Steve Seitz, Google's director of engineering.

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"So it really feels like you're talking with someone right in front of you," Seitz said in a video.

The initiative "is a technology project that combines advances in hardware and software to help people feel like they're together, even when they're apart," he continued.

-Google (@Google) May 18, 2021

It's unclear when or if the product will ever be available for mass use, but the announcement comes more than a year into the coronavirus pandemic, which forced many to rely on video conferencing both for work and personal purposes.

Each spring, Google hosts its annual I/O developer's conference, its biggest event of the year. This year's event is being held virtually and lasts through Thursday. CEO Sundar Pichai delivered his Keynote speech this afternoon.

Last year's Google I/O conference was canceled entirely in light of the pandemic.

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The company typically unveils new technologies that it has in the works, including new software updates. In 2019, the last time Google held its I/O conference, the company announced revamped augmented reality features.

This year, Google could unveil a budget-friendly Pixel 5a smartphone and a more affordable version of Google's Pixel Buds wireless headphones.