Volumetric video brings former comedic actor and current Ukrainian President to life on your coffee table.
With the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia putting a strain on Ukrainian resources, President Volodymyr Zelensky has begun reaching out to the global technology community for support in rebuilding the county’s digital infrastructure. And what better way to capture the hearts and minds of Europe’s top tech investors and corporate leaders than with a cutting-edge presidential address?
Recently, Ben Nunez, co-founder and CEO of Evercoast, a company specializing in volumetric video capture, visited Kyiv to record an official presidential address from the man himself using the company’s proprietary cloud software platform. The result is a hyper-realistic 3D digital human complete with animation as well as audio.
“Ukraine is a chance for a global digital revolution,” said Zelensky in the speech; “a chance for every technology company and a chance for every visionary to show their value, skills, technologies and ambitions.”
As if that weren’t cool enough, you can use your smartphone device to watch Zelensky’s rousing speech in AR. You don’t even need to download an app. Simply scan the QR code provided below and allow the website access to your camera and speakers. You can then tap on your screen to project a volumetric 3D model of Zelensky anywhere throughout your real-world space. By dragging your fingers across the screen you can resize and rotate the 3D model to view it from multiple angles.
“Evercoast had the extraordinary opportunity to produce and deliver a seminal moment in volumetric video with a holographic capture of President Zelensky from Kyiv. This is an incredibly important message from a leader whose country is under siege, and Evercoast is honored to have been a part of this,” said Ben Nunez, Co-founder and CEO at Evercoast.
The project was created by Martin Williams (Talesmith) and Thomas Hoegh (Garden Studios), directed by Martin Williams, and produced by Mark Wright (Talesmith) and Thomas Hoegh, and was shot on location in Kyiv. In an effort to help extend the country’s communication capabilities, Evercoast has donated its volumetric video equipment to the Ukrainian government.
Here’s hoping this is just the first of many AR addresses from President Zelensky. To learn more about the project visit ff.evercoast.com. In addition to immersive technology, the country has begun dabbling with NFTs to help bolster its war efforts. The government recently sold a CryptoPunk NFT donated to the country for a sizable $100,000. Prior to that, the country made a whopping $6.75 million with the sale of a Ukrainian flag NFT. Since February the country has received over $135 million in crypto donations.
Image Credit: Evercoast
