Softbank Ventures has invested in AI graphics startup Pinscreen in a funding round together with Lux Capital and Colopl Next.
Pinscreen is based in Los Angeles and was founded by Hao Li, Director of the Vision and Graphics Lab at the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies. The platform digitizes facial images to create realistic looking 3D avatars.
After uploading a facial image to Pinscreen, deep learning technology is then used to calculate face shape, hair structure and eye color — and transfers it to onto a 3D avatar. Completed avatars can then mimic the user’s actual facial expressions in real time. The technology has been recognized by SIGGRAPH, one of the top authorities in the computer graphics industry, as one of the most innovative developments this year.
There is no doubt that 3D avatar technology will be huge, as we approach future communication platforms that use both virtual and augmented reality. Existing realistic 3D avatars take a long time to produce and don’t come cheap, making the technology inaccessible for most users. Pinscreen aims to change this by letting anyone create their own personalized avatars in a short time with better features than current filters available on camera and video apps.
“Pinscreen has the most advanced technology for digitizing and tracking human images“, says Softbank Ventures Partner Lee Jun-pyo. “It is possible to express various emotions and movements with directly made 3D avatars and we look forward to the company leading innovation for VR and AR communication platforms.”
