Since its launch in 2010, Instagram has become one of the most popular ways to socialize online. From photo-sharing to reels, it has gone through different changes to become a place where people can communicate with others and express themselves through visual means.
Recently, Intel, together with Meta and Vega Studio, changes how people can communicate via a new effect on Instagram using augmented reality (AR) called Facial Messaging. The effect allows people to convey a message just by using their facial movements.
Ready to put on a communicative face? Open our new Instagram experience to compose a message using facial gestures. https://t.co/HYKA99VKvd pic.twitter.com/pj7srVDHOO
— Intel (@intel) May 31, 2022
One look says it all
Intel’s Human and AI Research Systems Lab developed the feature to make the experience in the app more accessible to those people who have neurological problems and disabilities. Inspired by the AI technologies developed in their lab, Facial Messaging uses its Assistive Context-Aware Toolkit (ACAT) program — which helps people with disabilities to access their computers — to provide a new, more accessible way to communicate on Instagram.
Facial Messaging lets you communicate with the world by your facial movement. All you need to do is do simple facial gestures when interacting with the effect and the AR interface will let you choose from the limited set of message options. Once you’re done, you can share it as a Story or a Reel on Instagram. For now, there are only 12 available message options, but it may increase in the future.
For over 30 years, Intel helped Stephen Hawking communicate through assistive #AI. We’ve created an AR effect inspired by this tech—allowing users to communicate with facial gestures.
Try it out: https://t.co/q0nPXgBMoy pic.twitter.com/ngI97J92x4
— Intel UK (@IntelUK) June 10, 2022
The Facial Messaging is currently accessible under Intel’s Instagram account. It will act according to some pointed facial language like if you move your face up and down, it will navigate through the options and if you blink, it will be counted as a trigger.
Originally built for Stephen Hawking, the Facial Messaging effect definitely opens up new doors for users to communicate with each other through Instagram. This gives people with neurological problems or other disabilities an opportunity to communicate with other people despite limitations.
Photo credit: The feature image has been taken by Antoine Beauvillain.
