Real-time holographic communication is now possible, thanks to a newly launched platform from Alibaba Group’s cloud computing arm allowing people to interact remotely via life-sized 3-D holograms.

Cloud Me developed by Alibaba Cloud allows users to beam an image of themselves onto the cloud where it is instantly displayed on a hologram booth for the recipient to see.

The technology promises a latency of less than 0.2 seconds, allowing people to communicate in near real-time, and can render realistic projections down to even the tiniest details.

Cloud Me ushers in a new model of virtual interaction that couldn’t have come at a better time, as demand for remote communications surged amid Covid-induced travel restrictions.

Alizila spoke to Zhao Yue, ApsaraVideo product solution architect at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, to understand how cloud technology powers this futurist tool to enable global communications.