Beam me up: Google’s Project Starline gets a new name and launch window
Google's sci-fi-like video call platform has a new name.
- Project Starline is now known as Google Beam.
- The communication platform is expected to come to market this year for select customers.
- Google is also working on a feature that would provide near real-time speech translation.
It has been a few years, but you may remember when Project Starline was debuted at Google I/O 2021. At the time, it was described as an experiment designed to make it feel like you’re in the same room as the person you’re videoconferencing with. For Google I/O 2025, the company now has a couple of interesting updates about this remote communication project.
As a refresher, Project Starline is a communication platform that uses various technologies like computer vision, machine learning, spatial audio, and real-time compression to transform a 2D video call into a realistic 3D experience. The best part about it is that this effect is created without the need for a headset or glasses. As Google explains, it uses an AI volumetric video model to turn whoever you’re talking to into a photorealistic 3D human model. A light field display is also used to give these 3D models a sense of depth and dimensionality. The demos the tech giant has shown so far look like something taken right out of a sci-fi movie.
