Happy New Year! As we get the New Year started, let’s take a look at the way conference rooms will advance and improve this year. These are some of the popular conference room camera trends we will soon see.

• ePTZ (electronic Pan/Tilt/Zoom)

There are two ways that PTZ cameras can pan, tilt and zoom – via motors that physically adjust the camera, or by digitally altering a static camera to give the desired pan, tilt, zoom effect. With ePTZ, because the actions are not being done at the camera level, it can be a great benefit in the conference room. Each user can manipulate their view as desired, and ePTZ provides a faster response. Additionally, because ePTZ is done digitally with software, the cameras are less complex, and thus, less expensive than traditional PTZ cameras.

• Intelligent Framing/Auto Tracking

These cameras automatically pan, tilt, and zoom the camera to keep meeting attendees in view even if they are moving. For example, if a speaker stands to interact with a whiteboard or presentation, the camera will automatically adjust to keep the speaker in view. On a related note, audio tracking technology is in the works to keep whoever is speaking in the field of view.

• People Analytics

Data analytics within these cameras can be used to count people. This helps to provide data on conference room use, or the number of participants on a particular conference call. Eventually, facial recognition technology will be able to identify meeting attendees for automatic recordkeeping. This technology can also be used for security and attendance at schools.

• Object Identification

New cameras can now identify and count different types of objects in the field of view. When it comes to conference rooms, it can be applied as a new accurate form or people counting by counting the number of heads in a room.

• Virtual Reality

While videoconferencing already enhances a phone call, virtual reality creates a more immersive experience. With virtual reality, it looks as if participants are actually in the same room, allowing for better interpretation of body language and subtle eye movements. With this type of technology, you can experience more natural communication with others remotely. The challenge with this technology is that wearing a VR headset for an hour long meeting is not quite ideal. However, as these technologies advance, there is potential for VR in the conference room.

Which trends are you most excited to see in the conference room? Share with us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

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Tags: Advancements, Conference Room Camera Trends, Conference Room Trends, technology, video conferencing