Social networking giantis developing a camera-equipped set-top box for TVs that would support functionalities like video-calling, a media report said.
Internally codenamed ‘Ripley’, the device would use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automatically detect and follow people as they move through the frame during a video call, news website Cheddaron Tuesday.
Apart from facilitating video-chat, the device could also help Facebook compete with the likes of Apple and Amazon in the TV segment.
Earlier this month, the social networking majorwhich incorporated AI technology to follow user movements while on a video-chat and remove unwanted background noise during a call.
Priced at $199, sporting a 10-inch display, built-in Amazon Alexa support and pre-loaded with Facebook’s own, the smart speakers would begin shipping in November.
With projects like Portal and Ripley Facebook is trying to build a consumer-hardware business outside of its virtual reality brand Oculus that was acquired by the social networking giant in March 2014 for nearly $2 billion.
Facebook declined to comment on the subject, the report added.