LG Uplus said on Nov. 4 that it has decided to jointly develop "5G-based real-time Telepresence" technology with DoubleMe, a company specializing in hologram content production.
"Telepresence" is a technology that virtualizes the appearance of people as if they were in the same space at a distance. For example, it would bring in a hologram video of an employee in a provincial area so that they could conduct a teleconference with their staff in Seoul.
To implement Telepresence, LG Uplus is planning to establish a "Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) network that processes data from users and servers that are installed in its base. The purpose of the project is to provide high-capacity 3D hologram contents that require data transmission and processing of 20MB per second using MEC in real time.
It also plans to implement artificial intelligence algorithms that enhance the quality of hologram contents over MEC and use them as computing resources for users to use high-quality Telepresence services.
DoubleMe offers "Holoport," a technology that can generate real-time holograms with just one 3D camera. The Holoport technology allows artificial intelligence to deduce the behavior of subjects through machine learning and automatically complement images of parts that are not filmed with cameras.
"Telepresence technology is expected to draw more attention when 3D cameras for smart phones become common," said Director Lee Hae-sung of LG Uplus' Future Technology Development Group. "We will work with DoubleMe to find various business models based on Telepresence such as teleconferencing, telemedicine and remote education."
The hologram Korean market is expected to grow from about $800 million in 2020 to $1.6 billion in 2025, according to global industry analysts (GIA).