Google Meet just dropped a game-changer: hand gesture detection. It’s like your real-world moves are now part of the digital chat. Imagine this: you raise your hand IRL, and boom, everyone sees a virtual high-five.
We’re diving into the deets of this cool feature—how it works, what you can do with it, and the sweet nostalgia it adds to online hangs. Say hello to the future of digital chitchat, where your gestures matter!
Wave to Google Meet’s new feature
Google Meet’s latest feature, hand gesture detection, revolutionizes virtual meetings. Using artificial intelligence, it recognizes when participants physically raise their hands during video calls.
Activated by keeping the hand visible to the camera, this innovative addition provides a seamless way to signal questions or comments. The virtual hand raise icon appears, moving users to the main grid for moderators to easily identify those seeking to contribute. Exciting, right? Here is all the details you need to know about it:
- Hand gesture detection: Google Meet introduces a hand gesture detection feature for video calls. The AI-powered system recognizes physical hand raises during virtual meetings.
- Activation and visibility: Hand detection only works when your hand is visible to the camera. It must be away from your face and body for the system to recognize the gesture.
- Triggering the icon: Users need to keep their hand raised for a few seconds to activate the gesture detection. Once triggered, a virtual hand raise icon appears in the user’s video window.
- Moderator notification: The raised hand icon signals moderators that the participant has a question or comment. Users are moved to the main grid, making their requests more noticeable.
- Integration and customization: Available across most Google Meet Workspace plans. The feature is turned off by default but can be enabled in settings.
- Preventing accidental triggers: Hand gesture detection is automatically turned off for active speakers. This prevents unintended triggers during lively discussions.
- Practical applications: Offers convenience, similar to clicking the hand raise button, with a touch of nostalgia. Useful when away from the computer mouse or when hands are not easily visible.
- User-friendly functionality: Enhances the virtual meeting experience by introducing a physical element. Bridges the gap between traditional in-person communication and virtual interactions.
- Continued innovation: Google Meet continues its trend of innovation, following the recent introduction of a portrait touch-up mode. These updates aim to make virtual meetings more engaging and user-friendly.
How to use Google Meet’s new hand gesture detection
Google Meet’s hand gesture feature, set to enhance the virtual meeting experience, comes with specific rollout details. For administrators, it’s important to note that there is no direct control over this feature; it cannot be toggled on or off. End users will find the feature turned OFF by default. To activate it, users can navigate to “More options > Reactions > Hand Raise Gesture” within Google Meet. Additional guidance on utilizing this feature is available in the Help Center.
Rollout
The rollout pace varies for different domains. Rapid Release domains will experience a full rollout, with feature visibility expected within 1–3 days, starting from November 21, 2023. On the other hand, Scheduled Release domains will see a more gradual rollout, extending up to 15 days, commencing on November 28, 2023.
Availability
As for availability, the Hand Raise Gesture feature is accessible across various Google Workspace plans, including Business Plus, Business Standard, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Starter, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade customers, and Google Workspace Individual subscribers. This inclusive availability ensures a wide range of users can leverage the benefits of this feature in their virtual meetings.
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