With the ever-increasing hype around the metaverse and the Web3 ecosystem, PUBG developer Krafton is now foraying into the virtual human segment with Ana. The company recently unveiled its first-ever virtual human that’s built using Epic’s Unreal Engine. And well, it looks like an actual human being. Check it out right here!
Krafton Unveils its First-Ever Virtual Human!
Krafton recently shared an official press release to show off “Ana,” its first-ever virtual human. As per the company, Ana is powered by hyperrealism, rigging, and deep learning. They say that Ana was developed through the hyperrealism production of Unreal Engine, and hence, has a hyper-realistic appearance. At first glance, one could easily assume that it’s a real human being rather than a digital character.
Now, this is not the first time we are seeing realistic digital human characters. Back in 2020, we saw Samsung unveil its artificial human-focused Project Neon, which the company aims to use for commercial products. However, Krafton says that Ana is nothing like any other virtual human that currently exists through other technologies.
The character comes with various human-like features “such as the baby hairs and fluff on her skin.” Furthermore, the company says its highly-advanced face rigging technology would enable realistic movements of Ana’s pupils, and fine facial muscles, and also enable her to produce natural joint movements across the entire body. Plus, thanks to deep learning technologies like voice synthesis, Ana will be able to produce an AI-backed voice to sing and act just like a real human being.
“ANA is a hyper-realistic virtual human created by KRAFTON’s unparalleled technology. We expect her to attract the interest and popularity of Gen Z around the world,” said Josh Seokjin Shin, the Head of the Creative Center at Krafton.
Going forward, Krafton aims to deploy Ana into the entertainment and esports sector. The company also says that the realistic digital character would help establish its Web 3.0 tech in the market, especially when the company is foraying into the metaverse and developing blockchain-based games.
“ANA will release an original music track and expand her scope of activity as an influencer into various areas across entertainment and esports,” Seokjin Shin further added.
The company confirmed to reveal more information about Ana in the form of images and videos later this year. So if you’re interested, stay tuned for further updates. Also, let us know your thoughts on Ana in the comments below.
