Google Beam to connect deployed US troops with families through 3D video calls

Google is partnering with the USO to bring its Google Beam 3D video communication technology to 20 USO locations worldwide, helping service members experience those moments with their families.

The rollout will use HP Dimension with Google Beam systems, which create lifelike conversations without requiring glasses or headsets.

A pilot earlier this year connected Trzebień, Poland, with Fort Bliss, Texas. The program is now expanding to include Grafenwöhr, Germany, and Fort Hood, Texas.

Google has also released a docuseries directed by military veteran and filmmaker Kyle Hausmann-Stokes. It follows four soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment during their deployment in Poland, showing how they used Beam to reconnect with loved ones back home.

Bringing depth to video calls

Originally developed as Project Starline, Google Beam uses artificial intelligence and specialized display technology to give remote conversations a sense of physical presence. The HP Dimension system features a 65-inch screen and six cameras built into its frame. The cameras capture the participant from multiple angles, while an AI model uses those images to construct a three-dimensional representation in real time.

The display sends different images to each eye, creating depth without wearable equipment. Head tracking adjusts the perspective as participants move, while spatial audio helps position voices where the person appears on screen.

Together, these features are designed to preserve eye contact, gestures, and other nonverbal cues that help people communicate naturally.

Sharing milestones across deployments

For Sergeant Amoy Brown and his wife, aviation logistics specialist Tiyanna Orane, an eight-hour time difference complicated opportunities to celebrate together. During their Beam session, Brown celebrated Orane’s military promotion and interacted with their young son, Azeal.

Army Chaplain Roland Kassales, who spent 15 months deployed during his first two years of service, listened as his daughter Blythe read stories she wrote.

“Being able to incorporate feeling and body language — all those things that make communication meaningful — will go a long way towards overall well-being for soldiers,” Kassales said.

Kassales’ comments reflect the program’s focus on helping families communicate through expressions and movement, alongside speech. The sessions gave participants opportunities to share everyday activities and major milestones.

A closer view of family life

Sergeant First Class Matthew Jennings used Beam to see how much his newborn daughter, Lilly, had grown and watch one of his sisters play guitar. His wife, Mayra, manages a blended household of seven while working 12-hour shifts.

For Major Michael Rodriguez, an armor battalion operations officer with 12 years of service, the connection offered a chance to watch his one-year-old daughter, Kathryn, practice taking her first steps. His wife, Jessica, works as a pediatric physical therapist while caring for their four young children.

The expansion to 20 USO locations will extend the program beyond its initial Poland–Texas connection. Google’s accompanying docuseries documents what those calls have already allowed four deployed soldiers and their families to share.

Source: https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/google-beam-expands-to-20-uso-sites