On October 5th, 2022, Logitech announced their new AI-powered tabletop camera, named Sight. Read on to see Bryan's take on this new device.
From the press release:
LAUSANNE, Switzerland & NEWARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) announced Logitech Sight, an AI-powered tabletop camera that works with the front-of-room camera Rally Bar or Rally Bar Mini to intelligently capture the best perspective of meeting participants and track conversations as they move around the conference room. In today’s hybrid work landscape in which 43% of remote employees report not feeling included,* Logitech Sight helps solve the disparity between hybrid teams by giving remote workers an “at the table” experience when meeting with in-office colleagues.
Read the full press release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005204/en/Logitech-Sight-AI-Camera-Makes-Hybrid-Work-Meetings-More-Equitable-for-Remote-Participants
Bryan's Take
I like the direction Logitech is going here, requiring a Rally front of room camera to be deployed in addition to the Sight, versus creating a tabletop only camera. This accomplishes a few things. First and foremost, remote users will not (necessarily) be subject to viewing the sides of participant heads in the room with the Sight. The Rally "should" be able to capture those looking at the display, while the Sight "should" be able to capture people looking at others in the room, or be better equipped to capture those at the end of the room. Second, the addition of the Sight will eliminate the need for an ancillary table mics as it contains microphones to capture audio. Next, the Sight has a field of view (FoV) of 315 degrees. This is an important distinction over competing 360 degree cameras. I have found in testing various 360 degree cameras that they can capture remote participants on the room's main display and present them as in-room users. This isn't good. With a 315 degree FoV, it is designed to NOT capture the display and therefore it will not accidentally capture remote users. Well done.
The Sight will be available in mid-2023 with an MSRP of $1,999
Product page from Logitech: https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/video-conferencing/room-solutions/sight.960-001510.html
Note: Opinions provided in this blog are based on press releases and briefings and are not based on demos or lab testing.