Everyday modern technology makes it easier and easier to work remotely, a factor keenly felt in 2020. There are a number of virtual reality (VR) apps which can help in this process, one of the best known being Glue. Today, the company has announced its next major update, adding expressive avatars, speech-to-text capabilities and more.
When it comes to immersive remote collaboration an important part to get right is that sense of presence, feeling like your still working with your team even when miles apart. And avatars have a vital role to play in that process. It’s why Glue has introduced expressive avatars, created in partnership with UK-based facial animation specialist Rapport. The avatars are now AI-powered, helping closely mimic people’s behaviour and features. Plus there’s a new built-in avatar configurator with the option to customise facial features, hair, clothing and colour combinations.
Then there’s the new speech-to-text option, instantly typing what users are saying, aiding inclusion. A new whiteboard makes idea creation easier plus it can be used by non-VR colleagues. And a camera that can zoom and shoot in the resolution users require.
“Available to all our users today, this is our most significant release so far,” said Jussi Havu, CEO, Glue Collaboration in a statement. “Alongside a new operating system with speech-to-text capabilities, we’re introducing
our ground-breaking new avatars. Everything adds up to our most immersive VR meetings yet, providing a space for remote workers to effectively collaborate even when they’re thousands of miles apart.”
“We let our users choose their own appearance, as Glue is a place where everyone can be themselves,” said Sami Syrjä, Head of Design, Glue. “We have deliberately chosen to use expressive, animated avatars rather than lifelike virtual representations of ourselves. This prevents ‘uncanny
valley’, the eerie sensation people experience if a digital representation imperfectly resembles human behaviour.”
Finally, if you’re a regular Glue user who’s after a new workspace, Glue has introduced Mont Matiz. A relaxing, hill-top location, it can be used from small team meetings all the way up to large events.
Enterprise-focused, Glue supports a range of VR headsets including Oculus Quest with various licensing packages available after a free demo.
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