Apple now has a patent granted by US Patent and Trademark Office that allows the designing of a watchband that is integrated with advanced camera technology. This means the watchband will be able to allow users to FaceTime through their Apple Watches.
According to Apple Insider, Apple plans to provide a hardware and software solution that will allow watchbands to have cameras integrated in it, where Apple plans to either fit wide angles lens into a sensor built into the band or have multiple cameras that functions simultaneously to capture multiple image date to combine it as a continuous wide angle image. The image will the be cropped after it has its focus on the subject, and this can be done algorithmically or manually, so users will not have to aim towards their image targets or themselves precisely for FaceTime or photo shooting. By merely pointing the lens in the target’s general direction, the watch will be able to capture a wide angle image or video before cropping it to focus on what is important.
Image credit : Apple Insider
Apple also plan on applying facial recognition software in the watchband so that it can identify users’ faces and keep their faces in frames during FaceTime. To prevent the inconvenience of raising your wrist to FaceTime properly, the company also want to incorporate a software that will collect facial data and use it to correct the angle of the image, so even when you’re using FaceTime from a low angle with your Apple Watch, the software will be able to alter the perspective to look as if you’re looking straight at the camera, in addition to registering your facials expression to map it onto your altered face in real time, which is resembles Animoji and Memoji.
We’re definitely looking forward to this watchband but it’ll probably cost so much more and even then, we’re unsure whether Apple Watch will have the advanced software and hardware to be compatible with the watchband.