Microsoft Shows off 3D Talking Head Avatars

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Microsoft has taken the wraps off some of the natural user interface projects currently in development within its research group. Following a natural user interfacte (NUI) and Kinect SDK TechForum event on Monday, the company posted videos of 3D talking heads, as well as new initiatives in smart displays - both of which make use of camera technologies to create new types of interaction experiences.

The first is an evolution of Microsoft's face-mapping technology, which is soon to be introduced as part of the Xbox 360's Avatar Kinect feature. Instead of mapping facial movements to a virtual character, however, the technology grabs a 2D, high-quality video of a person from a webcam (or Kinect) and maps it onto a 3D facial mesh model. The end result is a 3D face that can track speech or head movements it picks up on camera and display it back on the 3D avatar.