Microsoft Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera Launched, an AI-Powered Webcam for the Surface Hub 2

Microsoft Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera was launched on Wednesday, the company's first AI-powered camera for the Surface Hub 2 — Microsoft's interactive whiteboard for business. Businesses that have subscribed fully into Microsoft's future-of-work vision with the Surface Hub will now be able to upgrade its camera capabilities. The new Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera supports a host of new features including automatic reframing, a wide field-of-view, and image correction features that will all improve meetings. The Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera is designed for the Surface Hub 2 and will be sold separately.

The Redmond-based company explained in a blog post that the Surface Hub 2 Camera reframes, adjusts lighting, and enables wide angles of view without any warping, distortions or depth-of-field issues that might otherwise limit what is visible. “The team put tremendous work into tuning the experience to capture and frame what is occurring in the room while being smooth and natural for remote viewers or participants,” said Steven Bathiche, Corporate Vice President, Windows and Devices.

Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera price

The Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera is designed for the Surface Hub 2 and will be sold separately at $799.99 (roughly Rs. 60,760) starting March 16 or combined with the 85-inch Surface Hub 2S on May 31 for $21,999.99 (roughly Rs. 16.7 lakh). If the AI-powered smart camera is as smart as Microsoft promises, it might be a worthwhile upgrade for businesses.

Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera specifications

The Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera comes with a 12-megapixel sensor, a 136-degree field of view, and 1 teraflop of compute power, which is far more than the original Xbox 360. Microsoft is using this power in combination with an algorithm it has developed that automatically compensates for distortions, tilt, and wide-angle corrections to ensure objects stay true to life, as per the company. This allows the Smart Camera to detect everyone in a room and ensure that they're visible during meetings, Microsoft says.

The Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera sports an aluminium body and looks like a webcam. The smart camera attaches to the top of a Surface Hub 2 with a magnetic click and a USB Type-C mount.