Artificial intelligence (AI) cameras are pivotal in improving hybrid meeting experiences for remote participants. From its early stages, the technology has undergone a significant evolution. Today, you have AI auto-switching functionality driven by video production crew broadcasting and editing techniques. That’s where Huddly Crew comes into play. Discover a new take on hybrid meeting equity, engagement, and experiences with Huddly’s AI-directed camera system.
The AI experience began with single cameras that could auto-track speakers and zoom in on people. A single camera would pan to accommodate more users or zoom in when a single person spoke. While this experience kept remote attendees aware of meeting happenings, it lacked the natural flow of conversation. In addition, where a person stood in a room determined the image quality of that person to the remote attendees watching.
Soon after, AI took a step forward by framing in-room team members regardless of where they sat in a meeting space
In 2023, AI software advancements enabled end users to connect and control multiple cameras in a room. This software would auto-switch between cameras. AI-powered auto-switching lets viewers see various angles of in-room conversations. This advancement elevated remote attendee meeting equity and experiences by making conversations feel faster and more vibrant.
Huddly introduced its own auto-switching AI software, Huddly Director, delivered on the AI-enabled multi-camera system, Huddly Crew.
What is Huddly Crew? Meeting equity meets movie magic
Huddly Crew is an AI-powered modular three-camera system. The solution uses three networked 6K cameras to capture individuals and conversations in a meeting space. With the help of Huddly Director, Huddly’s on-camera AI software, the system auto-switches between different types of shots, inspired by TV and movie production practices. The built-in angles and AI functionality allow Huddly Crew to capture attendees in multiple modes and meeting spaces of any size.
“Drawing on Huddly’s extensive software and AI expertise, Huddly Crew achieves real-time analysis of meeting spaces, “says CTO Vegard Hammer. “Our cameras capture top-notch video and audio data. This allows Huddly Crew to enhance the experience for maximum engagement. All AI processing occurs on the device, ensuring compatibility with any platform and scalability across various room types.”
While you can pair software and PTZ cameras from separate organizations, Huddly brings the two together in one solution. By offering dedicated AI software and cameras as a single solution, Huddly has been able to advance meeting equity, experiences, and engagement from an entirely new perspective.
Meet Huddly® Crew™ – The world’s first multi-camera system with a built-in AI director
Collaboration mode in roundtable hybrid meetings
Huddly worked with video production companies and television producers to understand why we are so much more engaged in a television show or movie than in meetings or other scenarios. Huddly discovered that in TV production, editing has a cadence that lets the viewer see all sides of a conversation, with shots of the speaker interspersed with reaction shots.
The Norwegian AI camera maker’s Chief Design Officer, Knut Helge Teppan, shares, “In video calls, it’s often challenging to pick up crucial social cues like gestures and expressions. To solve this, we drew inspiration from TV production principles. Working closely with a professional TV production team, we learned about camera techniques, framing, rhythm, and pacing. We then adapted these methods to enhance the interactivity of hybrid collaboration.”
Huddly Crew’s Collaboration mode uses Huddly Director to actively monitor verbal and nonverbal cues via all three cameras to dynamically switch between speaker and listener shots and keep up with the conversation dynamics. Collaboration mode is ideal for interactive calls where remote attendees want to engage with the whole team.
Collaboration mode on Huddly Crew | Demo | Maximum flexibility for hybrid meetings
Speaker mode for structured calls
Some AI-powered cameras frame individuals. AI framing enables remote viewers to see every attendee in their own on-screen box – better emphasizing their movement or speech.
Huddly Crew takes a different approach with Speaker mode. Huddly’s take on active speaker tracking uses system cameras to focus on the individual speaking. If another person speaks, AI automatically switches the shot to an overview shot, keeping the original speaker in the frame. Then, the camera transitions to the other person. Speaker mode focuses solely on the person speaking, making it ideal for structured calls, like a company town hall or a monthly department meeting.
Also, users can use the Huddly App to switch between collaboration and speaker modes.
Speaker mode on Huddly Crew | Demo | Maximum flexibility for hybrid meetings
Flexible use: Move beyond the traditional conference room
In the modern workplace, meetings happen anywhere from closed-door meeting spaces to open lounges or common areas.
Since Huddly Crew’s AI software, Huddly Director, follows people rather than its environment, designers can position cameras where they believe best capture people and their interactions.
Flexible in design and across meeting platforms – Huddly Crew can easily adapt to how your teams collaborate.
And because Huddly cameras are available on floor stands, they are not limited to a single wall position.
Bring a multi-camera experience to your meeting spaces with AVI-SPL and Huddly
Huddly Crew’s USB plug-and-play functionality makes installing the system in any meeting space easy. With more advancements on the horizon, starting with the addition of more cameras to expand into larger spaces, there’s never been a better time to upgrade production quality and enhance the interactive nature of your hybrid meetings.
If you are ready to upgrade production quality or enhance the interactive nature of your hybrid meetings, AVI-SPL can help you design, integrate, and manage Huddly Crew at the scale you desire.
Contact us today to make Huddly Crew a core part of your flexible workplace meeting experiences.
