Logitech has launched its new Sight meeting-room camera to tackle the issue of remote workers feeling disengaged from meetings held in hybrid work environments.
Sight is a desk-based camera that takes the form of a tower slightly larger than a water bottle. It has AI functionality to automatically pan across the individual in the physical meeting room who is speaking.
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It's equipped with two 4K cameras on either side of the tower that combine to take in a 315-degree view of the meeting room, working in tandem with the fixed-position cameras that are already commonplace in meeting rooms.
The tower sits in the middle of the desk and as participants talk, it uses smart audio technology to track and detect sounds which then dictate to whom the camera lenses focus.
Logitech invited IT Pro to experience the camera and with hands-on testing, the camera delivers a far more immersive experience for the remote portion of the meeting than the current 360-degree cameras on the market.
Participants receive both the standard view from the main webcam, but also a close-up of the speaker to increase engagement.
The device can be fitted to a desk - either mounted centrally or with a grommet - or set up using a tripod if the meeting room doesn't have desks.
Sight also has USB and Ethernet ports, and in the future will support daisy chain functionality that will enable a two-device setup that will make larger meetings possible. At present, Sight can accommodate a maximum of eight physical meeting participants.
It's compatible with all the major video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, and most operating systems, across PCs, Macs, and mobile.
Meetings have drastically changed since the pandemic, with most companies now a mix of in-office and remote staff. However, the experience of a hybrid meeting isn't consistent for all as the remote participants on a call are often left feeling isolated or too distant to engage.
Occasionally, the issue is the technology within the meeting room itself; hardware that isn't in any way immersive, leaving the remote attending feeling like they're viewing CCTV of someone else's meeting.
The unique idea is the result of an extensive research and development programme. Logitech told IT Pro that it actually scraps more products than it brings to market in its quest for usability and that Sight is an evolution of that extensive work and its wider webcam portfolio.
At this time, there isn't a specific release date as the company wants to release it to testing partners in order to iron out any potential bugs before launching sometime in the summer of 2023.
The product will come in either graphite or white and will cost $1,999 (£1,745) including VAT. UK pricing will be revealed closer to the release date.
