PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - Facebook today formally opened its new Pittsburgh research lab. Facebook Reality Lab Pittsburgh aims to develop a new form of communication.
General manager Chuck Hoover says they're working to develop new virtual reality systems or avatars that go beyond two dimensional video,
“And all that is to a vision where we’re able to do that in a way where our codec avatars, where our virtual humans are eventually indistinguishable from real life, that’s really the vision here in the Pittsburgh lab,” said Hoover.
Lab Research Director Yasir Sheikh showed off a high-tech dome in the new four story brick and glass building on 15th Street in the Strip District.
"This is something that we've built here in Pittsburgh. It's one of a kind, there's nothing else like it in the world," said Sheikh.
"That's basically the center of this dome. What you're seeing here are hundreds of high resolution cameras and microphones. And this is where we build avatars."
He sees applications for virtual reality in education, entertainment, and the workplace.
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and Allegheny County Executive were both on hand for the opening.
About 100 work in the Strip District building. Sheikh says they have room for 250.
To mark the lab opening, Facebook made a $20,000 donation to the Sarah Heinz House across the river on the North Side.
The funding will go to support youth science and technology education.
___Follow KDKA Radio: Facebook | Twitter | InstagramListen to KDKA Radio on the Radio.com App - Download Now