Picture using video chat like Zoom, except instead of seeing the person you call on a screen, it feels as if they are physically sitting across from you. On Tuesday, Google unveiled Project Starline, an ambitious video chat tool using 3D imaging to make it look like participants are together in the same room. The technology also combines research in machine learning, spatial audio, computer vision and real-time compression to create the effect. It also uses a light field display system to create volume and depth without requiring the users wear special headsets or glasses. "Imagine looking through a sort of magic window, and through that window, you see another person, life-size and in three dimensions," writes Google Vice President Clay Bavor in a blog post.

The future of immersive video chat might not require a headset. Google showed off Project Starline, which uses a combination of specialized hardware and computer vision technology to create a "magic window" that can beam a life-sized, 3D image of the person you're chatting with into a special display that makes it appear as if they're sitting in front of you. "To make this experience possible, we are applying research in computer vision, machine learning, spatial audio and real-time compression," Google's Clay Bavor wrote in a blog post. "We've also developed a breakthrough light field display system that creates a sense of volume and depth that can be experienced without the need for additional glasses or headsets." For now, it appears Starline requires a fairly elaborate setup.