The IT giant is currently testing 3D video call booths but is not in a hurry to release them to the market.

 Video conferencing is in high demand in a wide variety of fields, including justice, where the physical presence of witnesses is impossible or dangerous, as well as in business or public relations - for example, discussions with employees or colleagues, commerce, medicine, education, etc.

Google's Starline project could profoundly transform the communication services industry, offering people the possibility to talk face-to-face while being far apart from each other.

Although video conferencing technology is not new, Google has taken it to another level: Starline uses 3D images, high-resolution cameras, customized depth sensors, and a booth where the other speaker appears, giving the impression that the person you're communicating with is there in the flesh, beyond the screen.

3D communication practically simulates the presence of the interlocutors in the same room.

These features create a realistic experience for both parties on either side of the screen, without the need for virtual or augmented reality headsets.

Note that Meta, which owns the social network Facebook, is trying to develop 3D communication services specifically through VR and AR headsets.

The Starline project has been tested at companies such as Salesforce, WeWork, T-Mobile, and Hackensack Meridian Health. The company invited over 100 partners to try the technology and provide feedback. Google has also installed a few such booths in its own offices.

After announcing plans to develop a 3D communication program in 2021, Starline became a project shrouded in mystery last year. TechCrunch and Mashable reported that all equipment related to the project was moved to a new location called "Area 120," and half of the technological experiments in this IT lab were suspended, most likely due to changing priorities in the current economic context.

The technology seems straight out of science fiction and has potential, according to the impressions left by those who have tried it, but Google has not yet published any plans regarding its commercialization or at least the terms of its market release. There is also no information on the costs of purchasing and maintaining the 3D cabins, considering that several cameras connected to a computer that processes data in real-time are required.

Existing programs such as Zoom seem to meet consumers' needs in 2D reality. Even Google has a similar program - Meet - and its fate will become uncertain with the transition to 3D.

Given the silence surrounding the Starline Project, it appears that Google has decided to conserve the technology for better times. The world's main focus, including Alphabet's leadership, Google's parent company, has turned to artificial intelligence.