The software is the first of its kind, combining animation technology with face tracking technology so that people’s movements are transformed into the movements of on-screen avatars. The software itself has two basic elements: fully animated avatars and digital face accessories  that webcam users can “wear” while using a webcam.

Video Effects allows users to completely transform their image into three-dimensional animated characters whose expressions and movements precisely mimic their facial expressions. QuickCam Fusion users can also use the software to add 2D animated accessories, such as eyeglasses, to their on-screen image.

The software comes with five avatars, including an alien, a shark and a truck, which mimics a user’s facial expressions and movements. Additional avatars and face accessories can be downloaded from the company’s website for free.

The QuickCam Fusion has a 1.3-megapixel sensor, proprietary RightLight and RightSound technologies, and an integrated microphone, while the QuickCam Notebook Pro is targeted at notebook users. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is this different than MSN Muggins or Yahoo! Avatars?
Yes – Logitech’s Video Effects software has the ability to map an avatar to a person’s facial movements. Other avatars are either cartoon caricatures or visual representations of a user that can be commanded to make movements with keystrokes, such as a smiley face, but none tracks the user’s actual facial expressions. 

Will this software work with any webcam?
No. It is only available for use with QuickCam Fusion at this time.

Can current Logitech webcam owners download this new software?
No. This is currently only available with QuickCam Fusion at this time and will only be available with new, premium Logitech webcams in the future.

Will you ever make it available as a purchased download?
We have no other announcements about Logitech Video Effects software at this time.  

What kind of performance can expect from the animation? What is the frame rate?
Depending on the speed of your broadband connection, you can receive up to 15 frames per second. Also, because the animation component is CPU intensive, the software can intelligently detect when there is not enough processing speed to run at maximum performance. The software will then scale back on the number of points it tracks on a face from 22 to 14 or 8 – which helps lessen the burden on machines and ensures reliable performance. 

Do you have any recommendations for optimal hardware specs in order to run Video Effects?
We recommend a 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 processor with 256 MB of RAM.

What if you are smiling when you start – how does the software know what is a smile and what is a frown?
There is a calibration feature within the software. When people click the calibration button, software will read their face as normal mode. All of the expressions that an animated character mimics are based on that calibration.

Did you engineer this software internally? Did you use and outside vendor? 
The Logitech Video Effects software was developed internally with some technology licensed from Neven Vision, a third-party technology partner.

I saw you were an A4Vision investor. Did they create any part of this software?
Yes, we are an investor in A4Vision, but they were not involved in the development of this software.

Isn’t there a potential for this type of software to be used by child predators?
We don’t believe so. Most video calling applications require the initiator of the video call to know the user ID of the person they wish to talk to. These applications will generally allow members to keep their identity private if they wish. We highly recommend that parents monitor their children’s Internet activities and set privacy restrictions on their video calling accounts.