Snapchat has come a long way from the app that was simply used to send quick images to one another over the web, and has become a massive force to be reckoned with in the world of social media, as well as computer vision, too. Snapchat filters have become not just entertaining, but incredibly accurate. The way in which overlays and such stick to the person in an almost perfect manner is no mean feat, and it seems as though Snap, the company that develops and runs Snapchat, is looking to become a major player in the computer vision world. New job listings all but confirm this, and could point towards some new features that are being added to Snapchat in the future.
As Business Insider is reporting, Snap Inc has listed a handful of new jobs that are asking for people with some fairly specialist skills that could be used to improve the platform’s 3D offerings. One of these job listings asks for a performance capture specialist that will be charged with helping to “develop internal and external tools to support the creation of new Snapchat experiences”. This could suggest that Snapchat is working on interactive 3D characters that would appear onscreen with people, and while this might sound a little strange, there’s clearly a high demand for their current selection of 3D filters that augment someone’s appearance, and another character to go with someone onscreen could be great for promotional content and such.
Another job opening asks for someone that can create “3D characters, clothing, accessories, and props” while another is asking for someone that will “play an important role in shaping how Snapchat tells visual stories”. Whether or not Snapchat is to gain some more 3D features is up in the air right now, and while there will be many out there wondering just what Snap is up to, it does make sense that the firm is looking to diversify. After all, the filters that users can apply to their face are fun and all, but Snap is clearly looking to become a force in the overall computer vision industry, and with new 3D technology, they might do just that. Not to mention, such skills and services will no doubt make them a more viable investment in the future, too.